


Light as a Feather

by EverydayGeek



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boxing, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 14:11:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7175180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverydayGeek/pseuds/EverydayGeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After some light convincing, Regina Mills allows her son to sign up for boxing lessons. What was meant to be fun activity for him, turns into a dilemma for Regina, who finds herself attracted to his flirtatious and seemingly hardened boxing instructor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You want to do what?" Regina queried, her hand clutched to her chest as if she were on the brink of cardiac arrest.

"I said," Henry huffed out. "I want to do boxing."

Regina stared at her son in bewilderment, wondering when this new development had taken place. Just last week, Henry told her he wanted to be a poet, like Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. He had her buy him several books of poetry, as well as three customized journals and three different types of pens. She'd spent a small fortune on those items. It had only been four days since their trip to Barnes and Noble, and Regina sure as hell didn't introduce him to Rocky during that four day timeframe. Did he stumble upon a poem about boxing and that's what sparked his sudden interest?

"Since when are you interested in boxing, sweetheart?" She asked.

"Since David and I watched Rocky last night."

That explained it. Mr. Nolan would certainly be hearing from her.

"He also took me to the gym where his friend offers boxing lessons. I really want to try it," he said. "So, can I do it, mom? Please?" he begged, his lips curving into an exaggerated frown.

Regina sighed. She didn't like the idea of her child partaking in such a barbaric sport, but after she brought him home from the hospital, she promised to raise him differently than Cora had raised her and Zelena. She wasn't going to make all of his choices for him, so if boxing was what he wanted to try out, then boxing was what Regina would sign him up for. After checking out the gym and David's mysterious boxing friend, of course.

"We can check it out today," she yielded. " _But_ I have veto power. If I don't like the instructor you have in mind, then we will find another."

"Thanks, mom," said Henry.

Regina bit back a chuckle at Henry's little fist bump and the wide, toothy grin on his face. Her eight year old was definitely beginning to pick up David's dorky mannerisms. It didn't surprise her, though; Henry spent half of his time at the Nolan household. Since Kathryn moved to Connecticut with her husband, Frederick, David and Mary-Margaret were her only friends left in the city. Zelena and her mother lived on the other side of town, in one of the snootiest neighborhoods in existence, so she didn't see them often. They might as well have lived in a different country, considering how little she saw of them.

Regina settled for a modest, two-story home in the heart of Boston, where they were surrounded by museums, art galleries, bookstores, and antique shops. Regina wanted to instill an appreciation for the arts in Henry and she'd succeeded for the most part. Henry was an amazing writer, he loved books, he loved to draw, and he appreciated all forms of music and art. Her kid was an intellectual, much like she was at his age.

But he was also just a kid, which Regina respected. She let him have his video games and comic books; his superhero movies and wooden sword collections. While she wanted her son to have an appreciation for the arts, she also respected his right to choose and pursue other interests outside of the artistic mold. Letting him sign up for boxing lessons was simply just the first step in allowing him to explore his creative freedom.

"So, when are we leaving?" Henry asked, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.

Regina sighed good-naturedly and told him, "Right now. Get dressed."

Henry grinned and ran up the stairs, his footfalls loud enough to be heard through the ceiling. Regina shook her head in amusement and rose from her spot on the couch, retrieving her cell phone from the coffee table as she made her way toward the staircase. She dialed David's number - the man answering on the second ring - and slowly ascended the stairs.

 _"Go for David_ ," came his exaggerated southern drawl.

"Henry wants to be the next Rocky Balboa. Care to explain why that is?"

David chortled. _"I may have shown Henry the first three films from the Rocky franchise, but in my defense, he saw the DVD covers and begged to watch them. How could I say no to my favorite nephew?"_

Regina huffed. "You're a terrible influence on my son."

" _If that were true, you would never let me watch him, Doctor Mills,"_ David teased.

Regina could hear the smile in his voice, and couldn't quite squash the smile forming on her lips. "Send me the address to the gym and meet us there in thirty."

_"Aye aye, Captain!"_

Regina could picture his mock salute over the phone and scoffed. Not bothering with a reply, Regina hung up and affectionately rolled her eyes at the text that came through a second later with the address and the name of the boxing instructor she'd be asking for once she got there.

"Birdy," Regina read aloud, scoffing. "What the hell kind of name is Birdy?"

* * *

The gym was located in the grimier part of town, the outside of the building small in size and painted gray, with large black letters reading _Light as a Feather Health Club_ , painted over the entryway. As the pair approached the entrance, Regina paused to admire the intricately drawn feather on the glass door, silently gasping at the detail put into the artwork.

Beside her, Henry buzzed with nervous energy, bouncing on the soles of his feet. He waited patiently for his mom to finish admiring the painting and peeked through the glass door in the meantime, trying to catch a glimpse of the activities happening inside.

A whistle sounded behind them, breaking Regina from her art-induced daze and Henry from his nervous bouncing. The duo glanced behind them and saw David walking toward them with a bright smile on his face.

"So nice of you to join us," Regina deadpanned.

David walked up beside her and threw his left arm over her shoulder. "Let's go inside, shall we?" He pulled open the door with his free hand and led the pair inside, making his way to the receptionist's desk at the front. The redhead at the desk smiled up at David, offering him a friendly wave.

"Hey, David."

"Hey, Belle. Is Birdy here?"

"Yeah, she's in ring five," the redhead informed them, her thick, Aussie accent coating her words. The woman looked to Regina, giving her a polite smile, and then looked at Henry. "Are you thinking of joining her class?" Henry nodded. "Birdy is a great teacher, I'm sure you'll love her. Feel free to head on back."

"Thanks, Belle." Said David, who wordlessly gestured for Regina and Henry to follow him.

Regina eyed the gym; the floors were gray and spotless, the punching bags were perfectly intact, the weights and exercise equipment looked to be brand new, and the gym's patrons were of all ages and of varying physical builds. Regina liked it already.

They walked through rows of equipment until they reached a set of double doors toward the back of the room.

David looked back at Regina and Henry, and smirked. "Welcome to the feather jungle," he joked.

He pushed open the double doors, revealing an average sized gymnasium. Regina took in the six boxing rings, three on each side of the room, and the several people scattered atop the ring's platform. Some were partaking in actual matches, while others stood around, listening to their instructors teach them about the basics of boxing. David led them to the ring labeled _5_ , and pointed to a toned blonde woman, who was dressed in black gym shorts, a black sports bra, and black, high top boxing shoes. She had a red pair of boxing gloves on her hands and a protective headgear strapped to her face.

She was surrounded by a group of children, none who looked to be older than sixteen, and demonstrated the proper defensive and offensive stances to take when in a match. The kids were captivated and, frankly, so was Regina. This Birdy person emanated confidence and strength, and spoke with a kind of gentleness that one would not expect from her hardened appearance. She was quite the spectacle.

And Regina meant that in the best way possible.

"All right, split into groups of two," came the gentle, yet strong voice.

Regina watched as the children shuffled across the platform and paired off with their classmates. She listened as they helped each other get into the proper stances, exchanging notes on how to better protect themselves from attacks. Regina supposed this was what true sportsmanship looked like. It looked like Birdy had taught them not only strategies to use in the ring, but strategies to use in life.

Impressive.

"Judging by the look on your face, I'm guessing you expected lots of blood, sweat, and tears."

Regina jumped at the unexpected voice in her ear and turned to face the smirking instructor. "Would you mind not scaring me to death? I have a ten hour shift tomorrow morning and I'm sure my patients would benefit from me being alive."

The woman laughed. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Regina, this is my friend, Birdy. She co-owns this gym with Nightingale over there," said David, pointing to the tall, brunette man standing in the middle of the neighboring ring.

Regina held out her hand and grimaced when the woman's sweaty and callused palms grasped her own. "Nice to meet you, Birdy," said Regina politely.

The woman smirked. " _You_ can call me, Emma," she said playfully, before looking to Henry. "Hey, Henry, nice to see you again today. Are you planning to join my class?" She asked, looking back to Regina for confirmation.

Regina shrugged. "Would it be okay if he just tried it out today? See how he likes it?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, totally. He can come in free for the rest of the week, if he wants. We have spare gloves and headgear that he can use for the time being." Regina opened her mouth to voice her concerns about the dangers of Henry using used gear, but Emma beat her to the punch. "Before you ask, _no_ , the spare gloves and headgear he'd be using is brand new. We just got a new shipment of spare gear, and it is his for the taking if he wants them."

"You give away free, unused boxing gear?"

Emma shrugged. "Not every kid that comes in here can afford them."

"That's very generous of you," said Regina, softly.

"Well, I do what I can to provide to those who can't provide for themselves."

"Someone who gives back to their community," Regina hummed, "Very impressive."

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of a clearing throat snapped the women out of their conversation. Regina and Emma turned to look at David, who was awkwardly stood beside them. Henry stood beside him, already donning black boxing gloves with matching headgear.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but Henry is going to need a partner," David told them, not looking sorry at all. In fact, he looked rather smug.

Regina rolled her eyes. Emma just smirked.

"I'll be his partner," Emma volunteered. "Since you came in late, I'll go over the basics with you."

"Awesome!" Henry exclaimed, climbing up the steps leading up to the platform.

Emma turned to Regina and smiled. "So, I guess I'll see you when I finish up?"

"Well, my son is here, so yes."

Emma let out an awkward laugh. "Right."

Regina chortled, watching the blonde reenter the ring and approach her son.

"Someone seems smitten," David singsonged beside her.

"No one is smitten."

"Is 'no one' code for you and Birdy?"

Regina huffed and turned to David, playfully shoving the man in the shoulder. "It is code for mind your own business."

"I've known her for years. She's got a good head on her shoulders," said David. "She's also single and injury-prone, which I know is your favorite kind of person."

"David," she warned.

"I'm just saying." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "You've been single for eight years, Regina. Let this boxer beat the loneliness out of your heart."

Regina snorted in disbelief. "Is that a line you stole from your wife?"

David chuckled. "I plead the fifth."

* * *

"Your son is a quick learner." Said Emma as she entered the gym's reception area, Henry trailing slowly behind her with the group of kids from his class. "He's a little uncoordinated at times, but that's something that we could work on. He takes direction well."

Emma collapsed on the seat next to Regina, her torso and neck covered in sweat. Regina's eyes trained on a droplet of sweat trailing down the blonde's chin, watching is as it dripped onto her chest and trailed between the valley of her breasts, disappearing beneath the cover of the sports bra.

Emma cleared her throat, snapping Regina's attention back to the blonde's face. Judging by the amusement on the boxer's face, it was obvious Regina's leering had not gone unnoticed.

"Well, um," Regina started, her voice uneasy. "Henry has always been astute."

"I'm sure he gets it from you."

Regina heard the flirtatious tone in the other woman's voice and internally screamed at herself to flirt back. But something held her back. Something was always holding her back.

"Yes, well," she huffed out, searching for something to say. No words came out.

Emma looked at Regina, studying her expression. She furrowed her brow, wondering if maybe she had overstepped somehow.

"Mom!"

Neither woman had ever felt so grateful for an interruption.

"I think that's my cue. I will have David bring Henry by tomorrow," Regina said politely.

"That's fine. It was, uh, nice meeting you, Regina."

Regina nodded. "You too, Emma Birdy." She joked.

Emma laughed. "My real name is Emma Swan." Emma plucked a business card from the small table separating their seats and handed the card to Regina. "If you're ever in need of personal training or private boxing lessons, call me. Or, if you're ever in need of dinner and need someone to eat with, you can call me for that as well."

"Emma-"

"If you're uninterested in the last offer, just keep my card for safekeeping in case you find yourself in need of a trainer," offered Emma. "Okay?"

Regina acquiesced with a small nod and took the card, placing it in her purse. "Okay."

"Good. So, I'll see you tomorrow, Henry. You did great today!"

"Thanks!"

"Bye, guys. Drive safely." And then Emma was gone, disappearing behind rows of exercise equipment.

Henry looked up at his mom and smirked. "She likes you."

"Henry…" Regina warned, walking through the gym exit, Henry trailing closely behind her.

"And you like her too!" Henry giggled. "Mommy and Birdy, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-"

Regina cut him off. "Finish spelling that and I will take away your video games for a week."

Henry quickly shut his mouth, but the smile never left his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina sat back in her office chair and sighed. She was exhausted. She'd spent the better part of her morning dealing with patients experiencing phantom limb pains, while spending her afternoon doling out weekly treatments to those dealing with healing burns and wounds. The looks of relief she'd received from her patients when their treatment began taking effect made Regina's heart burst with joy. Despite the emotional and physical exhaustion she'd endured in the six years since opening her private practice for veterans, the contentment and relief her patients felt when they left her office made it all worth it.

Stretching out her arms above her head and rolling around her neck and shoulders to loosen the tension, Regina looked up at the clock on her wall and saw that it was already 5:30 PM; she'd officially completed her ten hour shift. Like clockwork, her phone buzzed on her desk with a message from David.

 **_David Nolan_ ** _: Henry is all packed up and waiting for you to get here. So is MM._

Regina rolled her eyes.

 **_Regina Mills:_ ** _Let me guess….she has another hope speech prepared for me?_

 **_David Nolan:_ ** _….Henry may have mentioned your attraction to Birdy. Hypothetically speaking, she may have also given me a three hour lecture on why we shouldn't allow you to let this opportunity go to waste._

Regina huffed. Her son, while smart and the light of her life, was definitely a loquacious one. Mary Margaret had been watching him since he was an infant; it was only a matter of time before one of her traits rubbed off on him. Unfortunately, it just had to be a trait that Regina loathed.

 **_Regina Mills:_ ** _Tell your wife that I will hypothetically kick her ass if she so much as tries to make me sit through another one of her speeches._

 **_David Nolan:_ ** _Noted. I'll wait with Henry on the front porch so you can dodge her._

 **_Regina Mills:_ ** _Good. Be there in twenty._

Regina rose from her seat and shrugged out of her white lab coat, folding it over the back of her chair. She rubbed her palm over the creases in her black blouse to get rid of the wrinkles and used her free hand to pull her hair free from its ponytail. She ran her fingers through her hair – attempting to untangle the knots that had formed over the course of her shift - and bent down to retrieve her purse from under her desk, carelessly dropping her phone and scrunchie into the open bag as she placed it atop her desk.

Satisfied with her hair and overall appearance, Regina swung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, grabbed the office keys from her desk drawer, and made her way toward the door of her office, flicking off the light switch as she exited the room. She closed the door behind her, clicked the lock into place, and made her way down the corridor.

She walked by several open doors, her fellow doctors and nurses packing up their things for the day, and wished them a goodnight as she passed. By the time she reached the reception area, she could feel the tiredness seeping into her bones.

"Goodnight, Dr. Mills," said Mindy, her receptionist.

Mindy was nineteen, soft-spoken, and one of the kindest people Regina had ever come in contact with. She was also the daughter of two military veterans. She seemed to have a passion for the job, much like Regina, and Regina admired that.

"Have a goodnight, Mindy. See you tomorrow."

"Bright and early!" The girl chirped, eliciting a small chuckle from Regina.

"Take care, dear."

Regina walked out of the building and moved toward her reserved parking spot, retrieving her car keys from her purse as she approached her car. Just as she got settled inside the vehicle, the key already in the ignition, her phone buzzed in her purse. Regina grabbed her phone from her bag and stared at the new message with annoyed astonishment.

 **_David Nolan:_ ** _On second thought, I'll just drive Henry to your house. MM is being, well…..MM._

"Why am I not surprised?" Regina muttered under her breath, throwing her phone haphazardly into the passenger's seat. Turning the key in the ignition and pulling out of her parking spot, she gritted out a low, "stupid pixie" under her breath.

* * *

Regina parked in her driveway, beside David's pickup truck, and shut off the car. She took the keys out of the ignition, grabbed her phone and her purse, and got out of the car, locking the door behind her with the back of her heal and the click of the lock button. She sauntered up to her front porch, where she saw David and Henry standing, and approached the pair.

"I am so sorry," David said upon seeing Regina, holding Henry in front of him as a shield.

Regina ran her fingers through Henry's unruly curls and leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead, ignoring David completely. "How are you, my little prince?"

"Great!" the eight year old exclaimed. "Boxing class was so much fun!"

Regina smiled warmly at him and turned to open the front door. "And I would love to hear all about it after we've both showered."

Henry dashed into the house as soon as she opened the door, and Regina walked in after him, rolling her eyes as David's unwelcomed footsteps sounded behind her, the front door clicking shut behind them.

Regina walked through the entryway and strolled into the kitchen, dropping her purse and keys onto the counter. David stood under the kitchen's archway and eyed her warily.

Regina huffed. "What?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to apologize on Henry's behalf. Mary-Margaret asked him how his boxing lessons were going and he mentioned Birdy and how much she seemed to like you and how you obviously found her pretty and…Mary-Margaret got a little carried away."

"I met the woman once," said Regina, her voice breathless with exasperation. "Tell your wife that life isn't a damn fairytale. We talked once; we're not going to fall in love and get married after one encounter."

David smirked. "So, you're hoping it'll happen after _several_ encounters?"

Regina grabbed the car keys off the counter and chucked them at David's head. David dodged the keys and guffawed as they clanked against the tiled floor.

"Get out of my house," Regina demanded, only partially joking.

David grinned and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Fine, I'll go. But do yourself a favor, Regina, and just call her. She's an amazing woman and I know you have her number." Regina opened her mouth to ask how he knew that but David just smirked. "Henry told me about it last week."

 _Of course he did_ , Regina thought to herself. Her son was becoming a Mary-Margaret 2.0. As much as Regina (sometimes) liked the woman, she definitely would never want her son to become anything like her. It was bad enough that Henry started picking up David's dorky sense of humor; the last thing she wanted was for him to pick up Mary-Margaret's lack of filter.

"I'm just saying," David continued, much to Regina's annoyance. "Think it over. Or, better yet, take Henry to his class tomorrow. Tomorrow's Friday, and I know you get off at noon every Friday. I think Birdy might be just what you need. She'll make your heart soar and sing and-"

Regina cut him off by throwing her office keys at his nose, successfully hitting her target this time. David sighed and reached down to pick up both sets of keys. He walked further into the kitchen and placed the keys on the countertop, looking at Regina with a seriousness that hadn't been there moments earlier.

"It's been eight years, Regina. Let yourself be happy. Maybe Birdy will make you happy, maybe she won't. You won't know unless you give yourself a chance to explore that."

"David-"

"No one is saying you need to jump into a relationship with her," he assured her. "Be friends with her. She's the most amazing friend a person can have. Plus, since Kathryn moved away and Mary-Margaret annoys you more than she comforts you, I'm sure making a new female friend couldn't hurt, right?"

Regina looked into his eyes, the sincerity in his words crumbling her resolve, and nodded. "Okay."

David smiled. "Okay. Well, I guess I'll get out of your hair and let you shower. You smell like sweat and sterile latex."

Regina threateningly reached for her car keys and David dashed out of the kitchen with a laugh. "See you later, Regina."

* * *

Regina and Henry sat side-by-side at the dinner table, Henry talking excitedly about his day while he stuffed his face with peas. Regina smiled down at him - nodding occasionally to let him know she was still listening – and affectionately ran her fingers through his unruly curls. His hair was getting long; his bushy, brown curls now falling into his eyes. Regina made a note to take him to the barber over the weekend.

"Birdy said I've improved a lot since last week!" Henry told her, a proud smile on his face.

Henry became an official member of Emma's class four days ago. He loved the class so much that after his first two (free) lessons, he'd begged Regina to continue with it. Regina sent him to class with a check to cover the monthly fee the very next day.

"Is that so?"

"Yep! She said I could be the next Rocky if I work really hard."

Regina smiled. "I'm sure you could be, sweetie."

"I like Birdy."

That much was obvious. "Why do they call her Birdy?" Regina asked. She'd been wondering that since the woman introduced herself as Emma, and not Birdy. Was it a name she willingly went by or nickname chosen for her that just sort of stuck?

"She said it was a nickname David gave to her when they were younger."

David did mention something about knowing Emma from high school. Regina had only heard mentions of her here and there throughout their twelve years of friendship, but Regina wondered why she hadn't met Emma until now.

Regina sent Henry up to bed a few minutes later with a kiss and a whispered 'goodnight'. She placed their dishes in the dishwasher and made her way up to her bedroom, intent on preparing for bed. She went through her nightly routine and settled into bed, her exhaustion starting to catch up to her. As she pulled her silk comforter up to her chin, she looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw _9:30_ blinking back at her. It was still early.

She looked at the small, white card resting beside the clock, the glowing, green numbers illuminating the words on the card. Her hands itched to grab the phone from her nightstand and dial the number on that card, but her arms and eyes suddenly felt like they were being weighed down by lead. One thought crossed her mind as exhaustion set in and she gave in to slumber.

_Tomorrow._

* * *

They walked into the gymnasium and approached ring _5_ , where Emma sat on the steps leading up to the ring's platform, a clipboard resting atop her knees and a pen twirling between her fingers. The platform was empty, and Regina checked the time on her phone, seeing that it was only a quarter to three. The class started at three. Maybe she had been too eager to get there on time (or too eager to see a certain boxing instructor, but Regina would deny that if anyone asked).

"I'm guessing we're the first ones here," Regina voiced, watching Emma's head whip toward her, a surprised expression on her face. "Hello, Emma."

"Regina, hey." Emma sputtered, placing the clipboard and pen on the top step. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Regina furrowed her brow. "Why wouldn't you? My son is a student here, is he not?" She said, not unkindly.

Emma nodded, her eyes wide. "Yeah, no, that's not what I meant," she said, before looking to Henry. "Hey, kid. Grab a jump rope and warm up. We'll be working on speed and agility today."

Henry, who had his gloves thrown over his shoulders and his head guard in his hands, nodded excitedly and jogged toward an open door in the back of the room, throwing his gear onto the platform as an afterthought. Regina shook her head in amusement at her son's antics, before looking back at Emma, who had moved from her spot on the steps to stand before her.

Regina avoided looking at the woman's glistening neck and torso, and instead held her gaze. "So, what did you mean exactly?"

Emma cleared her throat and brought her hand to the back of her neck, rubbing at the slick skin nervously. Regina's eyes zeroed in on the woman's flexed arms, the swell of her bicep distracting her from the conversation.

Emma continued, oblivious to Regina's leering, her attention focused everywhere but the brunette. "I just meant that David's been the one bringing him lately, and I figured that after our last conversation, I had overstepped my boundaries and made you uncomfortable."

That caught Regina's attention. "Why would I be uncomfortable?"

"Because I asked you out within a few minutes of knowing you?"

"You were very respectful in your approach, Emma. You're not the reason I haven't come in," Regina assured her. "I'm a doctor and I work long hours. David only brings Henry in when I can't."

Emma nodded, her arm falling back to her side and her shoulders sagging in relief. "Oh. Well, I'm glad I didn't upset you. That was never my intention."

Regina smiled reassuringly. "I know. So," Regina began, "I hear you think my son will be the next Rocky Balboa."

Emma snickered. "Well, he certainly has the potential to be. Like I told you last time, he has a lot of potential. He's a very quick learner. His hand-eye coordination has improved a lot in the last six days," Emma praised.

"How's his offensive and defensive stances?" Regina asked, recalling the lesson Emma gave her class the last time she was there.

"It still needs a bit of work, but with time he will get there," Emma told her.

Regina looked toward the back of the gymnasium, where Henry had disappeared to a few minutes earlier, and saw her son skipping rope at an average pace, his face one of concentration.

Emma followed Regina's line of sight and smiled. "He's a hard worker, that one."

"Oh, I know," said Regina.

Kids started filtering into the gym in that moment, several of them greeting Emma as they made their way to the back of the room, per Emma's instruction. Emma looked at Regina apologetically.

"I guess I should get going."

"Of course," Regina agreed.

"So, I'll see you later?" Emma asked, her tone hopeful.

"You will."

As Emma began to turn away, Regina called out to her. Emma halted her stride and turned back to face her.

Regina dug through her purse, retrieving the business card she'd brought with her, and held it out for Emma to take. Emma took it with caution, her eyes questioning. "Here's my business card. You can call my personal cell if you need medical advice, want to refer a friend to me or one of my coworkers, or just need a person to chat with. I'm not quite ready to date just yet, but I could always use a friend, if you're interested?"

Emma grinned and placed the card in her red sports bra, a move that left Regina's breathing slightly haggard. "Okay, you're on. I look forward to this prospective friendship, Dr. Mills."

And then she was gone, jogging to join her class at the back of the gym, her red sports bra and red gym shorts leaving her bare back and legs on display for Regina to drink in.

So, she had a new friend. And a hot one - that she most definitely was not ready to date - at that.


	3. Chapter 3

Her breathing was labored, her body was slick with sweat, and her shoulders were stiff with tension. Her movements were sloppy and stilted, but she'd still managed to block her opponent's next attack with ease. Her opponent swung at her - missing her face by an inch - and she'd found her opening, delivering a sharp jab to his abdomen. He doubled over in pain, and she placed a wide berth between him and herself as he caught his breath. If this were MMA, she would have already finished him off by kicking his feet out from under him. But this was not MMA, this was boxing, and there were rules she had to adhere to.

Boxing was all about self-discipline; like most sports, it only required the use of your hands to get the job done. But like most sports, the rest of your body played key roles in enhancing your performance. Quick reflexes, footwork, flexibility, hand-eye coordination – they all drove your performance forward. And Emma was more than ready to end this performance with a bang.

Emma rolled her shoulders, loosening the tightness in her muscles, and readied herself for a counterattack. Her opponent straightened his back - his expression one of determination - and charged up to her with the aggression of a lioness, his gloved fist swinging toward her face with enough force to generate a small gust of wind. But he missed. She ducked her head before his fist could connect with her face, causing the man to hit air. Before he had time to swing again, she hit him with an uppercut to the chin, sending the man spiraling backward and onto the platform. He went down with an audible thump, a pained groan escaping his lips as his back hit foam-covered plywood.

August (or Nightingale, as he'd been dubbed by David), entered the ring and took her wrist in his hand, raising her arm in the air to identify her as the victor. The small crowd huddled around the ring cheered, and the bell signaling the end of the final round dinged.

"He never stood a chance," said August as he released her wrist, staring at the other man pityingly as his coach helped him up.

"He made such a great effort. He almost got me a few times."

August chuckled and pulled a water bottle out of his shorts pocket. He twisted off the bottle cap and handed it to Emma, who accepted it with a grateful smile. "Now you're just being modest."

Emma took a hearty sip of water before responding. "He could have easily gotten a hit in during the first half of the match. I was off my game."

August stared at her in awe. "If that was you off your game, then I'd pay to see what you're like when you're _really_ off your game. You could be unconscious and still beat half the guys here."

Emma suppressed a snort and bashfully ducked her head at August's admiring gaze. "I'm an okay boxer, I suppose."

August threw an arm over her slick shoulders – hugging her close to him – and rested his temple against hers. "Shut up and take the compliment. You know you're the best boxer here. There's a reason Hank has been trying to recruit you for the IFBA. You'd be sure to win every match. I'd bet all of my Hemingway novels on you."

Emma chuckled and removed his arm from her shoulders, stepping through the ropes to exit the ring. August followed suit and snatched the water bottle from her grasp before it could spill over, recapping the bottle and pocketing it. The two ignored the steps, deciding to jump the three feet down instead.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you should consider Hank's offer," suggested August as they landed smoothly on their feet. "You were once a pro MMA fighter, Em. You're just as good in boxing as you were in that."

Emma sighed and walked through the gymnasium - smiling her thanks at all of the people congratulating her on the match - and made her way through the double doors leading to the main gym. She passed through several rows of exercise equipment and sweaty patrons, politely greeting them as she walked past, until she reached the small corridor leading to her office. August, who'd been following her the entire time, stepped around her and opened the door for her, making a dramatic sweeping gesture toward the open office.

"After you, my lady," said August in an exaggerated British accent.

Emma rolled her eyes good-naturedly and entered her office, taking a seat on the black, fabric sofa she'd purchased in lieu of office chairs. It was a three-seater and took up half her office, but it was the best purchase she'd ever made. It was the perfect nap location after a grueling match or workout, and it was much more comfortable for her clients to sit on during long appointments.

August dropped into the seat beside her and looked at her with knowing eyes. "Are you honestly trying to tell me that you don't miss the thrill of televised, high-stakes matches? Crowds of ten thousand people chanting your name, hoping for you to win?"

"I may have liked that when I was twenty-four, but times have changed, and I've matured. Fighting in a major league was fun, until it wasn't. I'm happy to just enjoy boxing for what it is, without making a career out of it. I don't need the stress."

August sighed dramatically and sunk further into the couch, the back of his head thumping against the fluffy cushions. "Okay."

"Okay," she nodded, glad that he was dropping the subject…for now.

A comfortable silence descended over them. It didn't last long.

"So, David's friend that he brought to the gym last week," August paused, a barely suppressed smirk pulling at his lips. "She's just your type, isn't she?"

Emma shrugged and fiddled with the pull strings on her shorts.

"Did you ask her out yet?"

Emma mumbled out an incoherent answer, her cheeks tinging pink as she remembered the woman's slight rejection. "I did and she said she wasn't ready. But she wants us to try to be friends."

August eyed her curiously. "And how's that working out for you?"

Emma looked to the sweat-stained business card resting on her desk and sighed. "I'll know when one of us gather up the courage to call the other."

August chuckled and playfully ruffled her hair, a scowl forming on Emma's face at the action. "Emma Swan, former soldier, MMA champion, and current boxing badass, is afraid to call a pretty girl. Who would have thought?"

"Whatever," she muttered.

"How long have you had her number?"

"Since yesterday, after she dropped her son off."

August simpered, his lips twitching in amusement. "And how long has she had _your_ number?"

Emma shot him a dirty look and scowled. "Go home, August."

August tittered and heaved himself from the couch cushions trying to swallow him whole. With a mock salute and a parting smile, he left her office, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts and the business card she had yet to use.

* * *

The weekend came and went, and Emma found herself standing in the middle of ring _5_ come Monday afternoon, as she waited for her students to appear. They trickled into the gymnasium, one-by-one, and ascended the steps to the platform. Emma looked out for a certain brunette doctor, but found herself feeling disappointed when David arrived in her stead, toting Henry behind him. She tried not to let her disappointment show as David approached the ring, sporting that toothy grin of his that she usually found infectious. But her disappointment had won out and a close-mouthed smile was all that she could manage.

"She had to work," David answered in lieu of his usual greeting. "You'll see her again on Friday."

Emma groaned. "Am I that obvious?"

David smiled. "Afraid so."

"Hey, Birdy!" Henry greeted, his head gear already strapped over his cheeks and his boxing gloves hanging over his shoulders.

Emma moved aside the rope as David lifted the boy onto the platform. Henry stumbled slightly as he found his footing, and hugged Emma's leg in greeting. Emma patted his head affectionately and smiled down at him.

"Hey, kid. Ready to practice on the speed bag today?"

Henry bounced on his heels and gave her an enthusiastic nod. "Yes!"

Emma laughed and felt her heart melt at his adorable antics. This kid was officially becoming one of her favorite human beings (a few people had already taken up residence on that list. She had a feeling Regina would one day be added to it. If one of them would finally work up the courage to call each other, that is).

"Go join the others, I'll be there in a moment," Emma instructed him, smiling after the boy as he broke out into a sprint to join the rest of his classmates.

"I see you've taken quite a liking to him," said David.

Emma looked at him and shrugged. "He's a good kid, not to mention that his manners are impeccable."

"Well, he _was_ raised by Regina. Regina practically oozes politeness, unless she's around me or Mary-Margaret. All politeness goes out the window, then."

Emma smiled at the thought of the usually calm and collected woman letting loose and swearing up a storm, possibly throwing back a few beers with David as they watched ESPN. She could imagine Regina teasing David relentlessly or dodging Mary-Margaret as she tried to engage her in 'small talk'. They all knew by now that there was no such thing as 'small talk' for Mary-Margret. For Mrs. Nolan, discussions of lifelong dreams, childhood traumas, unrequited loves, and the like, were considered small talk. Mary-Margaret was a nice lady, and one Emma had known for years, but sometimes she was just too much.

"I can imagine," Emma replied after a moment.

"I'm gonna head out now. I'll be back at five."

"Have a good one, David."

As David left, Emma turned to face her small class and smiled. "Who's ready to test their speed?" she enthused.

A chorus of "me!" sounded from the group. Emma found herself grinning from ear-to-ear.

* * *

The class ended without incident, and all but one kid had been picked up. Emma joined the lone child in the reception area and smiled at him, the warmth in her chest expanding as he smiled back.

"How are you doing, Henry?"

"I'm doing great! Class was so much fun," he raved.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I always do," he stated earnestly. "You're the coolest boxing instructor, ever."

"Aren't I the only boxing instructor you've ever had?" Emma asked, her eyebrow raised in amusement.

Henry smirked. "That doesn't mean you're not the coolest." He got her there. _Smart kid_ , she mused. "So, when are you and my mom going to hang out?"

Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"You and my mom. I know you gave her your number and she gave you hers. Why haven't you two called each other yet? She's been picking her phone up and putting it down, without pressing the call button. Have you been doing the same? Are all adults so weird?"

Emma's mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water.

Luckily, she was saved from answering when David walked through the entrance and approached them. "Hey, bud, sorry I'm late. Traffic was crazy," he told Henry, his expression apologetic.

Henry shrugged and scooted off his seat, landing awkwardly on his feet. "That's okay, Uncle David."

"I'll treat you to a milkshake on our way home. Don't tell your mom," said David mischievously.

Henry grinned. "Deal!"

David smiled at Emma as Henry's hand slipped into his. "See you tomorrow, Birdy."

"Yeah," Emma said awkwardly. "See you. Later, Henry."

"Bye, Birdy!"

And then they were gone, Emma looking after the eight year old with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

* * *

She stared at the number she'd dialed into her phone, her finger hovering over the call button; one tap on the screen and the deed would be done. But she hesitated.

She'd done two tours in the Middle East, had watched several soldiers from her unit get blown to pieces by homemade explosives and roadside bombs, and had been shot thrice while on active duty. Aside from that, she'd spent six years competing in televised MMA fights following her army days, coming face-to-face with opponents twice her size, with three times her muscle mass.

So why was this so hard? What was she so afraid of?

She'd escaped death on multiple occasions, yet the idea of having a phone conversation with Regina scared her more than the bullet that had embedded itself into her abdomen all those years ago. She was a soldier, an MMA fighter, and a boxer. She had faced worse. She could do this.

So she did.

She tapped the call button and listened to the phone ring with bated breath. Three rings sounded before a husky voice answered.

_"Hello?"_

"H-hey, Regina," Emma stuttered out.

_"Emma?"_

"Yeah, it's me," she chuckled nervously, mentally smacking herself for the unsteadiness of her voice.

 _"I'm glad you called. How have you been?"_ Regina asked with interest.

"I, uh, I've been good. Actually, I was calling to ask if you wanted to go to a movie. We could bring Henry, David, and Mary-Margaret along. It would most definitely not be a date, but more of a friendly hang out?" Emma suggested, ignoring the rapid beating in her chest.

 _"David is having a barbeque this upcoming Saturday, which he'd only just planned an hour ago, so you should be getting an invitation any minute now,_ " Regina paused. _"I'd love for you to come."_

"I'd love to come." A breathy chuckle came through the receiver and Emma realized how that had sounded. "I-I mean that….I'll be there. I'll be in attendance." She amended lamely.

 _"Good,"_ said Regina, a smile in her voice. " _I'm sorry, but I must go now. It's time to tuck Henry in."_

Emma pulled the phone away from her ear and saw that it was already _9:15._ "It's fine. Do what you must."

 _"I really do wish we could have spoken longer. I look forward to seeing you again. Goodnight, Emma,"_ came Regina's soft voice.

"Me too," said Emma. "Goodnight, Regina."

Emma released a sigh of relief once the call had ended, and laughed to herself as a text from David came in a second later, asking her if she'd be free to attend his barbeque. She typed out a short 'yes' and sent it, smiling to herself as he responded with a simple smiley face.

Saturday couldn't get there fast enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Her fists moved at a blurred pace, thumping against the speed bag repeatedly as it swung back and forth with each hit. She felt sweat forming on her brow at the exertion, droplets of perspiration sliding down her forehead and dripping off the bridge of her nose. Her arms were beginning to feel like dead weight, but she pushed through the soreness and continued her assault on the speed bag.

"Working out some nerves?" came the teasing voice of her best friend, the sweaty man leaning against the wall with a smug look on his face.

Emma ignored him and continued her attack on the speed bag, punching it so hard it swung off its hinges and dropped to the floor. Emma ignored the man's bark of laughter and bent down to pick up the speed bag, roughly thrusting it at his gut. August grunted at the object shoved against his stomach and cradled it like a baby, shooting Emma a wounded look.

"Someone has a lot of rage."

Emma rolled her eyes and ignored him, deciding to try her luck with a nearby, unoccupied punching bag.

The gym was empty for a Saturday morning. Usually, patrons occupied half the equipment by nine; it was already ten-thirty, and there were only around ten people there, aside from her and August. Emma doesn't usually come to the gym until around eleven, but between the barbeque starting at one and her mentally preparing herself to see Regina at a social gathering, she just wasn't sure how to cope. So she came to the gym to hit stuff. August's unbearable teasing wasn't making it any easier for her to chill out, nor was the text she'd received from Regina earlier that morning saying, "I can't wait to see what you look like in actual clothing." For a woman who wasn't ready to date, Regina sure loved to flirt and make her second-guess herself.

Emma was used to women practically falling at her feet - the whole former soldier, MMA champion thing usually scored her major points – but now the situations were reversed. Emma was now the one falling at Regina's feet and practically swooning over her every time she so much as opened her mouth or sent her a playful text. Or simply just existed, but that was beside the point. Emma had it bad for her new "friend" and she hated how transparent her crush on the other woman had become. It didn't help that August and David gave her a hard time about it every chance they got.

"Em', take it easy," August chuckled out, holding onto the other side of the punching bag as she battered her fists against it. The soreness in her arms became more prominent with every swing, so she heeded his advice, dropping her arms to her sides before she could pull a muscle, her chest heaving with rapid, haggard breaths. "How long have you been at this? You look like you're going to drop any moment."

Emma unwound the cotton wraps from her hands and placed them in the pocket of her gray shorts. "I've been here since seven."

August's eyes widened and he reached into the pocket of his gym shorts, pulling out an unopened water bottle and handing it to her. Emma snorted at the gesture and took the proffered bottle, unscrewing the cap to take a long drag. August always brought an extra bottle of water with him to the gym, and it was always for Emma. She had a bad habit of not rehydrating after her workouts, but he always had her covered.

"Thanks. I needed that."

August laughed. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at home, looking for an outfit to wear to David's barbeque?"

Emma scoffed and walked around him, making her way toward her office. August followed after her.

"Why would I need to look for an outfit? It's just a summer barbeque. A t-shirt and shorts should suffice."

"This will be the first time you see Regina outside of this gym, Emma," he said, shooting her a look of disbelief. "Shouldn't you try to look, I don't know, _presentable_? You two may be just friends for now, but you don't want her to think that all you own is sports bras, t-shirts, and shorts."

Emma huffed at that and unlocked her office door, plopping down on the couch as soon as she entered. August sat opposite of her, atop her desk, and shot her a dubious look. "Just say what you want to say, August."

"You should wear those tight, dark wash jeans I bought you last month. You know, the one that makes your ass look fantastic?"

Emma retrieved her hand wraps from her pocket and threw it at him. She missed and he caught it with ease, gently placing the wraps on her desk.

"Why are you looking at my ass?"

August shrugged, playfully. "You have a great ass," he drawled, before smirking. "I saw Regina check your ass out yesterday, right after she dropped off her kid. I think the jeans will ensure that she won't be able to take her eyes off of you. Or, at least a part of you."

Emma felt the blush creeping up on her cheeks before she could stop it. Her blush darkened in response to August's laughter.

"Go home, Emma. Take a shower, take a nap, and then get ready for the barbeque. I'll see you at one," he sing-songed as he rose from her desk and left the office.

Emma sighed and heaved herself off the couch, gathering her keys and phone from her desk drawer. She exited her office and locked the door behind her.

August was right. She needed to go home, shower, and relax. She and Regina were friends now. There was no reason for her to be freaking out about seeing her outside of the gym. They've texted each other on and off for the last few days - even having a verbal conversation or two - and all of their conversations went swimmingly. She could do this, she knew she could.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, signaling a new text message. Unlocking her phone, she found a picture message from David and clicked on the photo attachment. Upon seeing the image, she felt all the air leave her lungs.

There, loitering about in David's backyard, was Regina, wearing a tight, white V-neck and black jean shorts that showed off her toned legs. Her hair looked to be windblown and flowing, with black aviators over her eyes and a water bottle in her hand. The photo was candid, and Emma had never known a woman could look so good in a photo that wasn't posed. It was mildly disconcerting.

"I'm friends with a freaking supermodel," Emma muttered under breath.

Taking a deep breath, Emma regained the mobility she'd temporarily lost due to the sight of that picture, and made her way out of the gym. Hopping into the yellow bug she'd received from August as a 'welcome back to the states' gift, she sped toward her home to get ready for what could possibly be the most stressful barbeque she'd ever attended.

* * *

"Emma, it is so good to see you! Glad you could make it," said Mary-Margaret, the pixie-haired woman pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

Emma stiltedly returned the hug, awkwardly patting the woman's back. "Yeah, uh, you too, MM."

Mary-Margaret pulled back slightly, holding Emma at arm's length as she assessed her with a gleeful expression. "You look nice."

Emma looked the way she always did, minus the boxing gear, the sports bra, and the gym shorts. She wore a black tank top, daisy dukes, and the black strappy sandals she'd gotten as a birthday gift from Belle the previous year. She spotted August standing with David at the grill and caught the man's eye. He roamed his eyes over her attire, gave her a thumbs up, and subtly nodded his head in the direction of her new friend.

Emma followed his line of sight and saw Regina relaxing on a lounge chair around the Nolan's pool, Henry seated in the chair beside her, sipping on a juice box.

Mary-Margaret cleared her throat, snapping Emma's attention away from the gorgeous brunette and her son. Emma brought her attention back to the pixie-haired woman, not liking the knowing smile on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing," Mary-Margaret shrugged, her smile widening.

"MM," Emma warned.

"Emma," Mary-Margaret shot back, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Emma! There you are!" David yelled over to her, waving her over with the tongs in his hand.

Emma quickly darted out of Mary-Margaret's loose grasp and walked around the woman, scurrying over to David and August. "Thanks for that."

"No problem. I know she can be a bit much sometimes," David chuckled out.

"Here, take this beer and make your way over to your new bestie," said August, handing her an open beer. "And be chill. Don't punch anything on your way over."

Emma rolled her eyes at his jest and snatched the beer from his grasp, taking a large gulp of the bitter liquid to calm her nerves. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," the two men said in unison.

Emma took another sip of her beer and walked toward the pair, clearing her throat awkwardly once she approached them.

Regina looked up at her, a smile forming on her face at the sight of her. "Emma, you made it," she said, sounding pleased. "Please, join us."

Emma sat on the empty lounge chair to Regina's right, and placed her beer on the concrete ground. "So," Emma began. "How long have you been here?"

"Since nine. David asked me to season and marinate the meat for him last night, so I brought it over this morning and brought Henry with me."

Henry, who had been distracted by the Marco Polo game going on in the pool between four adults Emma was not familiar with, looked at his mom at the mention of his name. His face broke out into a grin when he spotted Emma. Emma didn't have time to prepare for the fifty pound weight that fell in her lap a moment later, nor did she have time to prepare for the tiny, skinny arms that wrapped around her neck in a tight hug.

"Hi, Birdy!" Henry greeted.

Emma laughed, an amused smile forming on her lips as she brought one arm to wrap around the boy's back. "Hey, kid. I take it you're happy to see me."

"Yes!" he exclaimed, loosening his arms from her neck, but not moving from her lap. "I'm so glad you and mommy are friends now. The night you called her, she got this really surprised look on her face and looked like she was about to pass out. I had to press the answer button for her."

Emma smirked and looked over to Regina, the woman in question avoiding her gaze completely, her cheeks flaming red. "Is that so, Dr. Mills?"

"Henry, go play with the other kids," Regina said instead, ignoring Emma's teasing tone. Henry and Emma shared a chuckle.

"Okay, mommy," he shrugged, sliding off of Emma's lap. With a parting kiss to his mother's cheek, he darted off in the direction of a group of kids squirting each other with water guns.

Emma smiled at Regina. "If it makes you feel any better, I spent two hours staring at my phone before I pressed the call button."

"That actually does make me feel better, thank you," Regina joked, running her fingers through her hair.

Regina's hair looked like it was weaved by the gods themselves; it was always so kempt and shiny and perfect. Emma's hands itched to touch it, but she grabbed her beer instead and took a long swig.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Regina asked suddenly, causing Emma's beer to pause at her lips. Emma nodded. "Why does David call you Birdy?"

Emma took another sip of her beer before placing it back on the concrete ground. "It was nickname he gave to me when we were fifteen. We were in tenth grade and had ROTC together, and when found out my last name was Swan, he coined the nickname Birdy for me."

"That's it?"

"That's it," Emma confirmed, tittering at Regina's look of disbelief. "A lot of people think the nickname was given to me because of something that happened in the army or during my MMA days, but really, it was just a lame nickname given to me by a guy who thought Birdy sounded more original than Swan."

Regina scoffed, her expression one of amusement. "Wow. And here I thought you did an amazing boxing stunt that landed you the name."

"Nope," said Emma, sighing wistfully. "I wish."

"Well, you were an amazing soldier and a champion MMA fighter from what I've heard from David. That's more badass than a nickname could ever be."

Emma felt her chest warm at the compliment. She opened her mouth to ask a question of her own when the brunette's leering gaze caught her off guard. Regina's eyes roamed over her body, from her chest to her legs. She was taking it all in, and Emma felt her heart stutter. It wasn't until Regina's eyes roamed back up to her face and caught Emma's eyes that she realized she had been caught.

"See something you like?" Emma teased.

Regina blushed and playfully shrugged her shoulders. "This is the first time your torso hasn't been on display. I was taking it all in, though I must say, I am seeing much more of your thighs than I am used to."

"I take it you approve?"

"Definitely," Regina husked out, clearing her throat when she realized how that had sounded. "I mean, as a friend, I definitely approve of your wardrobe choices. Very appropriate for a summer barbeque."

Emma watched the woman lick her full, pink lips, her eyes darkening a shade.

"Can I ask _you_ a personal question?"

Regina brought her gaze to meet Emma's, her shoulders set and her eyes returning to their normal color. "Yes."

Emma treaded lightly, not sure of the answer she'd receive to her question. "When was the last time you went on a date?"

A faraway look appeared in the brunette's eyes, her shoulders straightening with tension as she closed herself off. "Nine years ago."

Instead of pushing for more, Emma changed the subject. "Okay, that's cool. You know, I've never even been on a date."

That caused Regina's walls to crumble and her eyes to refocus, the tension in her shoulders loosening. She looked relieved, and Emma vowed to keep it that way. She supposed that was a topic that was off limits until Regina was ready to discuss it. And Emma was fine with that. They were in the early stages of their friendship; Emma wasn't about to ruin that by pushing for too much, too soon.

"Really?" Regina asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, unless one-night stands count."

"They don't."

"Then I've never been on a date. No one's ever asked me, and until you came along, I had never asked anyone, either."

Regina frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"What?" Emma sputtered. "No, no. I wasn't telling you that to make you feel bad. I just – _shit_ – I, um-"

Emma was cut off by Regina's breathless giggle, the woman smiling at her endearingly. "You were just screwing with me, weren't you?"

"You are too easy, dear."

Emma felt inclined to agree.

"So, tell me about your job," Emma inquired, smiling when Regina wasted no time in telling her all about her center for veterans.

Emma felt that this was the start to a beautiful friendship. Regina had already become one of her favorite people on earth.


	5. Chapter 5

She watched her closely, taking in the way her feet danced across the cage with steady, deliberate steps. Her gloves were level with her cheek, prepared to block whatever attack her opponent was prepared to dish out next. With the reflexes of a cheetah, she ducked before her opponent's gloved fist could connect with her face and delivered a sharp kick to their abdomen that sent them tumbling onto the padded floor. The opponent kicked up from the floor a split second later and charged at the woman with their fists pulled back, ready to strike. The woman gracefully leapt aside before the opponent could reach her and watched as they nearly ran headfirst into the cage walls. Regina chuckled at the smug smile on the woman's face and watched as she delivered a punch to the opponent's face that sent them timbering toward the ground. A minute passed and the opponent laid there, unmoving.

The referee walked over to the woman still standing and raised her arm in the air to signal her victory. The crowd cheered and the woman smiled bashfully. The smugness that had been there a moment prior was replaced by a self-conscious smile and shrug. The change in the woman's demeanor - from confident to shy - was an odd sight, but not an unwelcome one. Regina was intrigued.

"Doctor Mills, your ten o'clock is here," came a voice from the doorway.

Regina's head shot up to where she saw Mindy standing in the open doorway with furrowed eyebrows. "Thank you, Mindy," she said. When the woman didn't move, Regina cleared her throat and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Oh, no, I just didn't know you liked MMA."

Regina turned off the monitor on her wall and cleared her throat. "My, uh, son, is interested in it. I was just doing some research on it."

Mindy gave her a slow nod and shrugged. "Cool. The chick that won was hot."

Regina raised a questioning eyebrow, to which she received a nonchalant shrug in response.

"I have eyes, ya know. Twenty-twenty vision, to be exact," Mindy quipped. Regina chuckled and shook her head in amusement. "Anyway, Lionel Clarence is in examination room four." Mindy walked into the office and placed a sheet of paper on Regina's desk. "Here's his form. He's been complaining about lower back pain and numbness in his right shoulder. Nurse Atkins placed his chart on the sink in his room."

Regina read over the shaky cursive written on the form and nodded. His writing matched that of someone who was experiencing numbness in his dominant arm. "Thank you, Mindy."

"No problem," Mindy said as she began to make her way out of the room. Before going back to her desk at the front, she paused in the doorway. "Hey, Dr. Mills?"

Regina rose from her seat and put on her white lab coat. "Yes, dear?"

"I think you'd look badass dressed in MMA gear. Maybe you can sign up for classes with your son."

Regina chuckled at her receptionist's wiggling eyebrows and playful smirk, and sent her back to her desk. Grabbing the patient form and stethoscope off her desk - holding the form in one hand and draping the stethoscope around her neck with the other - Regina exited her office and made her way toward examination room four.

Before entering the room, she pulled her cellphone out of her lab coat pocket and shot off a text to her new friend.

 _ **Regina Mills**_ **:** _Now I see why David speaks so highly of your MMA fighting days_.

Her phone vibrated with a reply before she could re-pocket it. Opening the message, Regina felt a laugh bubble up in her chest.

 _**Emma "Birdy" Swan** _ **:** _So, you decided to check my credentials, after all, huh? Were you impressed?_

 _**Regina Mills:** _ _If I say yes, will it go to your head?_

 _**Emma "Birdy" Swan:** _ _Maybe._

 _**Regina Mills:** _ _Good, because I think you are amazing at what you do. I have a patient to see now, so feel free to bask in your inflated ego while I'm gone._

 _**Emma "Birdy" Swan** _ **:** _Will do ;)_

Regina pocketed her phone, did her best to tamp down the smile spreading across her lips, and squared her shoulders as she pushed open the door of exam room four.

"Good morning, Mr. Clarence, how are you feeling today?"

The large, bulky man caressed his right shoulder with his left hand and grimaced. "Well, I'm obviously not doing as well as you, if the small giggles I heard outside the door are anything to go by. But I'm alive, so that must count for something, right?"

Regina awkwardly cleared her throat, ignored the blush she felt creeping up her neck, and grabbed the man's chart from the counter, flipping to the most recent page. "So, the numbness in your arm…when did it begin?"

* * *

Sixteen patients - six of which were unscheduled – five screaming babies in the reception area, and seven grueling hours later, and Regina hung up her lab coat for the day. She felt drained of life, as if she were a walking corpse. She couldn't wait to get back to her home where she could change into her silk nightgown and snuggle into her satin bedsheets.

She grabbed her purse from her desk drawer, fished out her phone and office keys, and made her way out of the office. She turned off the light, closed the door behind her, and clicked the lock into place. She bid all the doctors and nurses goodnight as she made her way down the corridor and into the deserted reception area. Mindy left an hour earlier due to academic commitments and there were no last minute stragglers waiting for her in the reception area. Regina felt utterly relieved by that fact.

As she exited the building, a familiar pick-up truck parked beside her car stopped her in her tracks. David sat in the driver's seat, while Henry sat beside him in the passenger's seat. Both boys were so caught up in whatever David was showing Henry on his phone that they didn't notice Regina approaching the vehicle.

"And what brings you both by?" Regina asked, startling the pair from their car bonding time.

Henry looked at his mom and smiled a big, toothy grin. "We wanted to surprise you. Class let out early today since Birdy had somewhere else to be."

Regina replayed her conversation with Emma from the night before and remembered the woman saying she had a string of personal training consultations lined up for the day. Since Regina's rousing session with Mr. Clarence, she hadn't received any more texts from Emma.

It's been two days since the barbeque and Emma and Regina had done their best to fill their two days apart with text and verbal conversations. So far, they'd done a great job at keeping up the contact and Regina couldn't be happier. It was nice having a female friend around, even if Regina thought about kissing said friend every time they spoke, but she was working on tamping down that urge. She still wasn't one hundred percent ready to date, but Emma had this charm about her that almost made Regina want to give in. _Almost_.

Henry was loving Regina's newfound friendship with his boxing instructor. He stole the phone from Regina every chance he got, just so he could talk to his new BFF. If Regina were being honest, Henry probably spoke to Emma more than she did. Emma never seemed to mind and instead entertained his conversations. Regina melted every time.

"Well, you've surprised me, dear. I assume you'll be driving home with me?" Regina asked her son with a small smile on her face. Henry grinned and nodded. It was then that Regina noticed where he was seated, and her eyes narrowed dangerously at David. "Why is my son sitting in the passenger's seat and not in his booster seat?"

David held his hands up in mock surrender. "He's only been sitting in the passenger seat since I parked. I know better than to let an eight year old ride shotgun, Regina. Give me some credit."

Regina rolled her eyes at his playfully wounded look and pulled open the passenger door for Henry. Henry grabbed the small Power Rangers backpack Regina bought him for his boxing gear and held on to his mother's arm as he jumped from the truck and landed feet first onto the concrete ground. Regina pulled out her car keys and clicked the unlock button on the doors, watching as her little bundle of energy wrenched open the back passenger side door and got settled into his booster seat. Regina looked back to David and scoffed at the annoyingly knowing smile on his face.

"What?" Regina barked.

"Henry tells me that you and Emma talk constantly now."

"And?"

"And nothing," David shrugged. "I'm just glad you two are giving this friendship thing a chance. I guess the barbeque was a success, after all."

Regina narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?"

David's smile widened.

And then it all clicked. "You planned that entire barbeque to get me and Emma to talk, didn't you?"

The smile never left David's face as he said, "It was also an excuse for me to eat something other than kale, tofu, and quinoa."

"You are unbelievable!"

"I know, thanks," David agreed, jokingly. "It wasn't only my idea. MM and Nightingale gave me the idea."

"I'm going to go before I give in to the urge to smack you," Regina retorted.

David chuckled, waved her off, and turned the keys in the ignition. "You do that, Dr. Mills. I'll see you same time tomorrow."

Regina stepped away from his truck and gave him the finger, to which he responded to with a bark of laughter and a thumbs up. David honked his horn once and shouted his goodbye to Henry, who responded in kind. Regina involuntarily smiled at the exchange and walked over to the open car door to make sure Henry was properly strapped in. The boy looked at her with twinkling eyes and a mischievous smile.

"I helped plan the barbeque with Uncle David and Aunt Mary-Margaret, too," Henry told her, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Regina snorted and fastened his seatbelt. "Of course you did," she deadpanned, mussing up his hair playfully. Henry giggled at his mother's antics and planted a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek as she leaned closer. A gentle smile made its way onto Regina's lips at the gesture. "What was that for?"

Henry shrugged and poked his mother in the cheek. "No reason, I just like seeing you happy."

The implications of that statement, said so simply and earnestly, caused Regina's heart to constrict in her chest. Her son was much more observant than she gave him credit for. "Me too, sweetie. So, how do you feel about getting some ice cream on the way home?"

Henry fist pumped and cheered. Regina placed a kiss atop his head, closed his door, and made her way to the driver's side. As she settled in her seat and placed the key in the ignition, she couldn't help but wonder what else Henry was privy to. Looking into the rearview mirror, she caught her son's eye. He grinned at her and she mustered a smile. She saw his brow furrow in concern at her lack of genuine smile and it hurt her heart to realize just how much her eight year old could sense.

Kids really did notice everything.

* * *

 _"So, I have three new clients,"_ Emma boasted the moment Regina picked up her call.

Regina sat beside Henry at the dining room table and held the phone between her shoulder and ear as she cut his steak into smaller pieces. Henry swatted her hand away and took the knife and fork out of her hand, insisting that he could do it himself. Regina relinquished the utensils to her son and watched as he aggressively cut at the meat, slicing the plate more than he did the steak. Regina left him to it and focused on her phone conversation.

"That's great, dear. How many people did you see today?"

_"Six. Three wanted to start right away with personal training, and the other three have decided to join my boxing classes."_

"Sounds like someone is having an amazing day."

 _"Well, when the day starts with your pretty doctor friend complimenting your fighting skills, the day can only get better from there,"_ Emma quipped.

"I see your ego has only grown since this morning."

_"And the only person you have to blame for that is yourself."_

Regina snickered at that and ignored the strange look her son sent her. "So it's my fault that your ego is inflated?"

_"Yup."_

Regina shook her head in amusement and opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Henry's outstretched hand and eager smile. "Can I talk to Birdy now?"

"Henry, you need to eat your dinner first," Regina chided.

Henry pouted and broke out the puppy dog eyes. That look was lethal and could get even the coldest of people (her mother and her sister) to cave. Regina sighed and spoke into the receiver. "Your best friend wants to speak to you," Regina said to Emma before looking at Henry. "Five minutes and then you finish your dinner."

Henry nodded happily and reached for the phone, which Regina reluctantly handed over.

"Hi, Birdy! How was your day?"

Regina ran her fingers through his unruly curls and decided to start on her own dinner. She listened to her son babble to the woman on the other line, his words jumbling together in his rush to get them out. Regina could vaguely hear the excited voice of the blonde on the other line and the way she returned Henry's enthusiasm and interest. It was adorable, and Regina couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face.

Regina hadn't been the only one to gain a new friend out of all this; Henry did as well. Giving Emma her number and hanging out with her at the apparently _staged_ barbeque was the best decision she'd ever made. She's sure Henry would concur.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Birdy! I'm sure my mom wants her phone back," came Henry's shrill voice, snapping Regina out of her reverie. A second later, Henry handed Regina her phone back and went back to eating his dinner.

Regina put the phone up to her ear and was greeted by a breathless laugh. "Hello again."

 _"Hey,"_ replied Emma. _"So, I was wondering, what are you doing for lunch tomorrow?"_

Regina stilled. "I usually just pack a lunch and eat in my office. Why do you ask?"

_"Well, I was thinking we can have lunch together tomorrow. But, you know, not like a date or anything, because I know you're not ready for that. Just think of it as two friends getting together to catch up over food. Totally not a date; it'll be a completely platonic affair. Or, you know, if you don't want to-"_

Regina cut off the rambling woman before she could talk herself hoarse. "I would like that. Is twelve fine for you?"

 _"Twelve is great,"_ said Emma.

"Great."

 _"Awesome,"_ Emma said awkwardly. Regina smirked. " _So, I know you two are eating your dinner, so I'll leave you to it. I'll see you both tomorrow."_

"Good night, Emma."

_"Night. Tell little Rocky good night for me."_

Regina passed on the message to her son who returned the sentiment with a mouth full of steak and peas. The two hung up and Regina placed her phone atop the table, picking up her fork to start on her lukewarm dinner. She could feel eyes on her as she bit into her steak and turned to lock eyes with her staring son. Regina raised an eyebrow in question.

Straightforwardly, Henry said, "Wear a pretty outfit under your lab coat tomorrow."

And then he continued eating his dinner as if he'd said nothing at all, leaving Regina to stare at him in disbelief while she pondered his unnecessary suggestion.

(It wasn't a date, so she was most certainly not going to consider his suggestion. Not at all.)


	6. Chapter 6

She went with Henry's suggestion, and she was definitely feeling the repercussions now. Taking advice from her eight year old son was definitely not the smartest thing she could've done, but as she rolled out of bed that morning to get ready for work, the purple sundress at the front of her closet piqued her interest. Since opening her practice, Regina had gone into work wearing her normal button down shirt and pencil skirt combo (or her scrubs when she was feeling particularly uninspired about livening up her wardrobe) and it had worked for her.

Until today.

Her impending _not-a-date_ with Emma left her second-guessing her normal wardrobe choices.

It was noon, and Emma was due to arrive at the center any moment now. Regina pulled at the purple sundress she wore under her lab coat and smoothed out the creases that had begun to form over the course of her shift. The dress was mid-length, cut off just below her knees, and was made of a material that felt like silk against Regina's sweaty palms. While the dress was attractive in appearance and soft to the touch, it was slick against her leather office chair and the pleather rolling stools placed in the exam rooms.

She'd nearly slid off the pleather rolling stools during her last three appointments and she'd barely recovered since. The concerned expressions – and somewhat amused smirks - on her patient's faces as they asked if she was okay was mortifying, to say the least. She was the doctor; asking after the well-being of the patients was _her_ job. But she'd managed to get through the rest of her appointments without breaking her ass, so it was a victory she took with a grain of salt. She was fine now, but who knew what could happen during her afternoon sessions.

Running her fingers through her hair, Regina primped and fluffed her chocolate locks, trying to give her hair some bounce. But when she realized what she was doing, she dropped her hand and rolled her eyes at herself. This wasn't a date, she reminded herself; this was just a friendly lunch meeting with her new friend. Her very new, extremely _attractive_ friend. Who she did not want to date. At all. (Well, not yet anyway. She could admit that at least).

Her desk phone rang in that moment, snapping her out of her reverie, and Regina picked it up on the second ring, seeing the receptionist desk's extension appear on the caller ID.

"Yes, Mindy?" Regina spoke into the receiver.

"An Emma Swan is here to see you. She says you two have a twelve o'clock appointment, though I don't see any records showing an appointment scheduled for that time. "

Regina huffed out a laugh at her receptionist's panicked tone and gently said into the receiver, "Escort her to my office. She's a friend of mine."

She heard Mindy release a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. Got it, boss, I'll escort her now."

Regina chortled and nodded, before remembering that her receptionist couldn't see her, and placed the phone back onto its cradle. A few seconds later, footsteps and hushed chatter could be heard coming down the hall. The hushed chatter and footsteps came to an abrupt halt in front of Regina's doorway, and Regina looked up at the pair with a smile.

Emma was clad in tight, dark wash skinny jeans, a tight, black tank top, and black sandals. Her hair was flowing in yellow waves over her shoulders and not in the usual ponytail she'd gotten used to seeing over the last few weeks. Regina was too busy leering at Emma's biceps to notice the amused looks on Emma and Mindy's faces.

Mindy cleared her throat, snapping Regina out of her staring match with Emma's toned arms, and ushered Emma into her boss' office. Regina looked up at Emma, arranging her face into an indifferent mask, and looked behind the blonde's head to her receptionist, who loitered near the door with a shit-eating grin on her face. Mindy wiggled her eyebrows and nudged her head toward Emma, mouthing "she's hot" before turning on her heels and disappearing down the corridor. Regina shook her head in amusement and looked back to Emma, who she just noticed was holding a takeout bag in her hand.

"What's in the bag?" Regina asked, feeling a smile twitch at her lips at Emma's answering grin.

"I recall you telling me how much you loved the lasagna from _Granny's_ and I thought I'd bring you some."

"Thank you." Regina smiled, clearing the papers off of her desk to make room for the takeout bag.

Emma set down the bag on the desk, lowered herself into the chair opposite Regina, and opened the bag, pulling out two paper plates, a sealed container of lasagna, plastic utensils, and some napkins. Emma then looked to Regina and gestured to everything on the desk.

"Bon Appétit!"

* * *

Five minutes into their meal and Regina found herself daintily biting at her lasagna, careful not to smudge any tomato sauce onto her chin or cheek. Emma, however, didn't seem to have that problem. The blonde ate similarly to Henry and David, taking consistently large bites of lasagna without any regard to the tomato sauce resting at the corner of her mouth. While she'd usually find herself cringing when Henry or David behaved in such a manner, with Emma, she found it strangely endearing. Regina chastised herself for even having such a thought.

"So, how has your morning been?" Regina asked with her plastic fork poised in the air.

Emma grabbed a napkin from the desk and wiped at her mouth. "It was pretty dull. I met up with August at the gym for a little while to discuss the gym's budget, and then I went back to my apartment for a shower. And then I came here," Emma relayed with a smile. "How about you, Dr. Mills? Any unruly patients?"

If Regina counted her ten-thirty appointment with Mrs. Cook, who had openly laughed at her during her near-death fall off of the pleather stool, then yes. Instead of saying that, Regina just shrugged and replied, "Not particularly, no."

Emma smirked. "Not particularly?"

Regina huffed and dismissively waved at her dress, which was in full view now that she had taken off her lab coat and folded it across the back of her chair. "This dress has a severe lack of friction with certain materials," Regina grumbled.

Emma snorted and covered her nose in embarrassment. "Sorry," she apologized before grinning widely. "I noticed the dress when I came in. Did you get dressed up for little ol' me?" Emma teased in an exaggerated southern belle accent.

Regina cleared her throat uncomfortably and remembered the fork in her hand, scooping up a piece of meat and ricotta to stuff in her mouth so that her foot would retreat from the home that it had made there.

After swallowing her bite, Regina nonchalantly explained, "Henry suggested I wear it."

"Your son is surely something. And I mean that in the most amazing way possible. I love that kid," Emma supplied, taking the final bite of her lasagna and placing the empty plate into the empty takeout bag. "Henry and I are totally BFFs."

It was Regina's turn to snort. "Oh, I know. He never shuts about you. He's so glad that you and I are friends now. Did you know David, Mary-Margaret, August, and Henry organized that barbeque with the intention of setting us up?"

Emma laughed disbelievingly and ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't, actually, but I can't say I'm surprised."

Regina smiled and then focused on her lunch, clearing up her plate with just two bites. She grabbed a napkin to dab at her mouth and then leaned back in her chair, feeling sated and relaxed. Looking across at Emma, her smile only widened when the woman mirrored her position.

"So, since you're here in my veterans' clinic, tell me about your time in the army. Do you miss it?" Regina inquired, glad to see that her question garnered a smile and not a frown. She was scared to overstep, but she was also extremely curious about the other woman.

"I miss the traveling and the routine of living on the base, but I can't say I miss being on the frontlines of battle. My body was basically a bullet magnet."

Regina gasped. It wasn't a surprise, but Regina couldn't imagine how terrified Emma must've been. "Where were you shot, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Twice in the gut, once in the thigh. No organs were punctured and both shots were through and through. But the shot in my thigh shattered my femur in four places; there's a steel rod and pins where bone used to be. But, me being me, I just couldn't sit on my ass for too long. They told me to limit my activity for a few months and go to physical therapy. So, I did as I was advised and then a year later I reconnected with David who told me about this MMA gym in Salem. That's where I met August and that's where my MMA career began."

Regina listened intently, her expression showing a myriad of emotions: shock, bewilderment, fascination, and pride.

"And the rest is history, huh?"

"Yup," Emma nodded.

"What made you want to join the army?" Regina asked, not unkindly.

"I grew up in foster care," Emma said breezily, obviously not wanting to linger on that part of her story. Regina remained silent and continued to listen. "My grades in high school were subpar and college was never something I was interested in. As an eighteen year old kid, I wanted to do something important with my life," Emma chuckled to herself, self-deprecatingly, "I'm sure you've heard that reason a million times, considering your field of work."

Regina smiled softly at the woman. "But this is the first time I'm hearing it from you. It means something entirely different when you hear it from someone you know."

Emma cleared her throat and self-consciously rubbed at the back of her neck. "Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about you."

"Hmm," Regina tapped at her chin with her index finger. "I was born and raised in Cambridge, to an overbearing mother and a sweet, soft-spoken father. I have an older half-sister named Zelena, who is a pain in my ass, but I love her dearly. They all live on the other side of town and I only see them once a month, if I'm lucky. Or, unlucky, depending on how you to look at it."

Emma smiled, nodding for Regina to continue.

Regina took a deep breath and spoke. "I was married for two years to a man named Daniel. He was in the same platoon as David, actually. Daniel and I actually met at a bar - as cliché as that sounds - when I was twenty-one. We immediately hit it off and started dating a few weeks later - long distance, of course, since he was stationed at Fort Campbell. While David and most of Daniel's friends left the army after their four year active duty contract, he decided to stay. He comes from a long line of soldiers and he wanted to remain on active duty until he reached the highest rank."

Regina took another deep breath and continued, staring at Emma, who listened intently and regarded her with an encouraging expression. "He proposed to me two years later, and we were married eight months after that. It was tough, considering that he and I barely got to see one another, but we made it work," Regina paused and sighed. "Two years later, I became pregnant with Henry. I had just finished med school and had a week of freedom before I was meant to start my residency at Mass Gen. Daniel was about to be deployed to Iraq and was released home for a few days. I didn't know I was pregnant until three weeks after he'd left. Two weeks later, two soldiers showed up at my door…"

Emma leaned forward in her chair and slid her hand across Regina's desk, resting her hand atop Regina's tightly clasped hands. Regina looked down at their touching hands and noticed how deathly pale hers had become. She loosened the vice grip between her threaded fingers and eyed Emma's hand, feeling her stomach flutter at the contact.

"I'm sorry, Regina," Emma apologized. Though she had nothing to apologize for, and Regina told her as much. Emma shrugged and offered a small smile. "It's still a terrible thing to go through and I asked-"

"It's fine, dear. I told you because I wanted to."

"And that's why you're not ready to date," Emma acknowledged.

"Yes," breathed Regina, suddenly feeling very exposed. Clearing her throat to cut the thick tension in the room, Regina slowly slid her hand from under Emma's and placed them on her lap.

Emma moved her hand from the desk and settled them on her thighs. "So, what do you think of _Grey's Anatomy_?"

Regina stared at Emma for a second, before a wide grin spread across her face. Emma was presenting her with an out, and Regina would be a fool not to take it. This lunch ended up being more emotionally taxing than she'd expected. "Don't even get me started on the number of unnecessary deaths."

* * *

It was five minutes to one and Regina slipped on her lab coat; she had a patient coming in ten minutes for a consult. She and Emma stood from their chairs and Regina walked around her desk to approach the woman.

"Let me escort you out."

Emma grinned, flourishing her hands toward the door. "After you, Dr. Mills."

Regina rolled her eyes good-naturedly and exited her office, Emma following closely beside her. Their hands brushed with every step and Regina fought down the urge to link their pinkies or do something equally as inappropriate. This wasn't a date, after all, and they were in her place of employment. That would be highly unprofessional.

"You know, we should do this more often," Emma suggested as soon as they passed the reception area and exited the building. "You know, without the super heavy talks. But, then again, we could do that too."

Regina followed Emma through the parking lot to a yellow Volkswagen beetle. It was old, in need of a good wash, and in desperate need of a new coat of paint. Emma's eyes lit up at the sight of her car, and part of Regina wondered if the brightness of her eyes had anything to do with the sunlight; surely a beat up bug couldn't bring someone so much joy. But, alas, the wide smile on Emma's face as she manually unlocked the door said it all.

"This is your car?" Regina asked, crinkling her nose in disgust at the endless amount of junk food wrappers littering the car's dashboard.

Emma took no offense to her tone and beamed. "This is my baby. She was a gift from August when I got back to the states. I'm guessing you don't like her," Emma said with a small laugh.

"I'm in no position to judge," Regina countered with her hands raised in mock surrender. "I thought soldiers were supposed to be tidy," she teased.

"Well, my moves in the ring are clean and that's all that matters."

Regina guffawed at the comment and smirked at the woman. "Smooth."

"Very. I can be smooth when I want to."

The two stared at one another, both seemingly glued to their spots – Emma standing in front of her open car door and Regina standing in front of Emma, only mere inches away. Their staring contest felt like it had lasted hours, but in reality, had only lasted a few seconds. Emma broke the contact first and looked down at her shoes. Regina followed suit and looked down at her fidgeting hands.

"So, I'll see you Friday?" Emma queried, her tone hopeful.

"Yeah, definitely. Or, maybe as you suggested before I got distracted by," Regina gestured to the yellow bug. "this, maybe we can make this a bi-weekly occurrence. If you have time, that is?"

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Emma enthused, running her hand over the back of her neck. _Must be a nervous habit_ , Regina mused. "Maybe we could do this again on Thursday?"

"Thursday it is," Regina agreed.

"Okay, so," Emma stammered out before swiftly moving forward and placing a feather light kiss to Regina's cheek. Regina felt her breath hitch at the contact. Emma pulled back just as quickly as she leaned in and looked at Regina with a sheepish smile. "I, uh, I just…I'm glad we're friends, Regina."

"Me too, Emma."

Emma swallowed nervously and got in her car, closing the door once she got settled in her seat. Looking up at Regina through the open window, Emma said, "By the way, you look beautiful in your dress. Purple is definitely your color."

Regina blushed. "I have to get going. Thank you for the lunch."

Emma winked. "Any time. See you later, beautiful."

Regina took that as her cue to get back inside, so with a parting smile, she made her toward the building. As she reached the practice door, she could see Emma's yellow bug pulling out of the parking spot. Emma waved. Regina waved back. And then she was gone.

It may have not been an official date, but Regina would be lying if she said it felt like it could be anything less.

David and Henry will be pleased.


	7. Chapter 7

She walked with a pep in her step, bouncing around the gym with the energy equivalent to a teenager who'd consumed too much caffeine. She was buzzing with excitement because it was Thursday, and soon she'd be seated across from the most beautiful woman she'd ever laid eyes on. The bounce in her step caught the eyes of several sweaty patrons – some shooting her questioning looks, others returning her bright smile and enthusiasm – so she rearranged her features into a mask of indifference and walked the way a normal thirty-four year old personal trainer would walk in their establishment; with a confident swagger that held no resemblance to a schoolgirl skipping to a candy store.

Ignoring the curious gazes burning into her back, Emma stepped up to a lone punching bag and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. She wrapped her hands with cotton wrap, making sure they were wrapped snugly around her knuckles, and straightened her posture to make sure she was in the appropriate stance. She struck her fist against the punching bag with enough force to send it swinging backward, hitting it again when it swung back toward her. She kept the flow of punches going for another fifteen minutes, sweat gathering on her brow, until her dick of a best friend appeared at her side, leaning casually against the wall.

Emma ignored him and kept swinging at the punching bag – until August decided to stand on the opposite side of the punching bag and take the piece of equipment in his grasp, keeping it in place. Emma rolled her eyes and gave the bag a final punch, doing her best to ignore August's knowing smirk.

"Getting rid of nervous energy before date number two, eh?"

"It's not a date, August," Emma grunted out, feeling winded from her barrage on the punching bag.

As usual, August handed her a water bottle straight from his shorts pocket. He made it hard to be annoyed with him when he was keeping her hydrated. It irked Emma to find that staying mad at the man was damn near impossible. He hadn't known her for more than a few months when he got her the yellow bug she considered to be one of her most prized possessions. What kind of person got an ex-veteran he barely knew a car just because he could? A good, wealthy person with a heart of gold, that's who. August Booth was a kindhearted asshole who Emma wished she could dislike.

(Sometimes).

"You paid for her lunch and then had a deep, meaningful conversation with her about topics you have yet to tell me about. She dressed up for you and you dressed up for her. You complimented her dress and then kissed her on the cheek before you left," August relayed the details Emma had told him after her lunch, making the woman regret confiding in him. His widening smirk wasn't helping, either. "Em, it was totally a date."

Emma rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a date, August," she said again, though her burning cheeks were saying otherwise.

August guffawed and playfully pinched at her bright, red cheeks. "Aww, Emma, look at you. You're so smitten with this woman," he cooed in a baby voice that was completely unbecoming for a man of his stature.

"Whatever," Emma waved him off, using the back of her forearm to wipe the sweat off her brow. "So, what brings you here? It's six-thirty; you're never here this early."

It was true. _Light as a Feather_ opened at five and August usually didn't show up until after seven. Belle and Robbie, the gym's receptionist and one of the trainers, were usually the only ones here until Emma showed up at after six. August and the rest of the crew came in after seven. The only people that came in before nine were the regulars, and because they didn't need much assistance with their workouts, Emma and August had a system going for their employees. You can clock in any time you want, as long as it's before eight-thirty. It was a leniency that Emma was sure other employers wouldn't adopt, but there had yet to be one tardy. All of her employees were in by eight.

"The Feather Fight Club, Em," August told her. Emma's eyes widened. She'd forgotten that was this weekend. "You forgot, didn't you? I know your future girlfriend has been on the brain, but how could you forget Feather Fight Club?" August asked, sounding wounded.

Emma rolled her eyes. Again. "I'm sorry. I forgot it was this weekend. It's not like you put posters up for it."

August scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "The number one rule of FFC is to _never_ talk about FFC."

Emma snorted. "You've mentioned FFC at least four times in this conversation alone. You might want to follow your own rules, Auggie."

August narrowed his eyes at her. "Never call me that."

"Sure thing, Augs."

August huffed, but let it go. "Anyway, are you competing this weekend? Should I put your name down for a few matches?" Emma thought about it. She hadn't had a _real_ boxing match in some time, so she nodded. August grinned. "Awesome! The boxers that come in are going to shit their pants when they see they're fighting against you."

Feather Fight Club (or FFC) was a bi-monthly boxing tournament held in the boxing gymnasium. It was an idea that August conjured up during their second year of business as a way to gain more clientele, and every year, it worked. Men and women flocked to the event like moths to a flame, paying the fifteen dollar fee to get in without hesitation. To compete, it was a twenty-five dollar fee, complete with a free Feather Jungle t-shirt, courtesy of Belle's girlfriend, Ruby, who owned a custom tee shop just outside of Boston.

FFC attracted more than one hundred spectators, and more than thirty participants every other month. There was also the FFC kids' tournament that was also held bi-monthly, for kids ages eight to seventeen. Both events were held a week apart every other month and both had managed to attract a decent amount of people.

At Emma and August's behest, only twenty percent of the money earned from that event went toward the gym, while the remaining eighty percent went toward three different organizations: The Wounded Warrior Project, The Trevor Project, and The Home for Little Wanderers. Emma figured they could add more organizations and charities to their donation list when the event's number of participants eventually (and undoubtedly) doubled in size.

"You should invite Regina to come watch you fight," August suggested.

Emma gulped down several mouthfuls of water before answering. "Do you think she'd be into that type of thing?" Emma asked.

August smirked. "She's into you. I'm sure she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see you half-naked and drenched in sweat, while you beat the crap out of some Neanderthal who thinks he could take you out because you're a woman. You should invite her."

Emma pondered the thought. She hated to say it, but August made a great point; Regina would probably love the view.

* * *

Emma sat across the desk from Regina, sloppily stuffing her face with Lo mein noodles. Regina skillfully managed to clutch several noodles between her chopsticks, bringing the noodles to her lips with a gracefulness one would never associate with eating greasy, sauce-covered noodles. Emma had tossed aside her chopsticks three bites ago, having given up on using them after her second attempt; more noodles ended up on her clothes than they did in her mouth, and she'd ended up grabbing a plastic fork in resignation. Regina laughed cutely at her failure, and Emma almost felt that the stain on her white t-shirt was worth it; Regina's laugh was music to her ears, and quite possibly the best song she'd ever heard.

"So, tell me more about this FFC event," Regina asked, placing her half-empty Lo mein carton on her desk as she reached for her water bottle.

Emma swallowed her mouthful and explained the details of the event. Regina listened intently and looked almost interested at the event's description. Emma had taken August's advice and asked Regina if she was interested in attending. After Emma finished relaying the event's details to Regina, the brunette had looked intrigued.

"Are you going to fight?" Regina asked, grabbing the carton on her desk to resume eating.

"Yes. August has me down for a few matches. The two participants who have won the most matches of the night will go head-to-head in a final match. The winner wins two-hundred dollars, bragging rights, and a championship belt. August has had way too many of those made over the years, so FFC has given him the perfect opportunity to get rid of some of them."

Regina snickered at that. "I barely know the man but, from what you've told me, I can believe that."

Emma grinned. "August collects vinyl records, classic novels, and customized championship belts. He's a total dork."

Regina breathed out a laugh and eyed Emma curiously. Emma raised a questioning eyebrow at the woman, who just smiled. "Do you collect anything?"

Emma thought back to the stamp collection she had when she was six, before remembering how the boys in her group home threw her book of stamps into Aberjona River from outside of their moving bus window. Then she remembered the NBA bobble-head collection she kept under her bed when she was eight, and how the two girls she shared a room with in her newest foster home had trashed it while she was at school. She, then, thought back to the collection of journals she had kept from the age of seven until the age of seventeen, and how she'd stashed it underneath her mattress, only for her newest foster sister to read through them like they were a juicy gossip magazine; she'd been taunted for months after that, the taunts only stopping once she'd graduated high school and left for basic training.

The only thing Emma had collected were terrible memories from her childhood, but she wasn't going to tell Regina that.

"Nope, no collections whatsoever. You?" Emma asked after a beat, obviously deflecting the question. If Regina had noticed the pause and slight discomfort in her voice, she didn't mention it.

"No. Collecting was never my hobby," Regina shrugged.

"So," Emma said once there was a lull in the conversation, her carton now empty. "Do you think you'd want to come to FFC?"

Regina smiled. "Sure. I'll leave Henry with Mary-Margaret. I'd love to see you in action." Emma smirked, opening her mouth to make an inappropriate joke, only for Regina to halt her words with a raised hand and burning cheeks. "Don't even."

So Emma didn't.

"You should sign up for a match one of these days," Emma said, chuckling at the skeptical look on Regina's face.

"You're only suggesting that so you could see my half-naked body glistening with sweat."

Emma raised her hands in mock surrender. "You said it, not me." Emma joked, bringing her water bottle to her lips for a hearty gulp.

"Besides, that's supposed to be my excuse for agreeing to go to FFC, not yours."

Emma choked on her water at the statement, sputtering the clear liquid all over Regina's desk. Regina laughed heartily and handed Emma some napkins.

"Dear, I think you've gotten some drool on the side of your mouth," teased Regina, who motioned her index finger toward the glistening corners of Emma's mouth and her dripping chin.

Emma rolled her eyes playfully and wiped at her face, muttering a "very funny" behind the napkin covering her mouth.

Regina smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief and mirth.

Emma sighed contentedly at the look.

August was right; she was already smitten.

* * *

Her students were improving with every lesson, proving to Emma that they took direction well. There was not one weak link in her class, and Emma couldn't be prouder. Her eyes darted around her students – who she'd placed in pairs for a sparring session – until they landed on her friend's son. Henry looked comfortable in his fighting stance, striking with poise and purpose every so often, but remaining alert and blocking attacks almost effortlessly. His stance and foot placement was still a little awkward, but it seemed to work for him. Within a year from now, Emma could envision him fighting in matches and actually winning.

It was a heartwarming, yet slightly violent visual, but she rolled with it.

The alarm on her phone beeped a minute later, signaling the end of class. Emma dismissed her students and watched as they slipped off their gear – some placing their gloves and headgear into backpacks, others placing the gloves over their shoulders and keeping the headgear on. They all shuffled and hopped off of the ring platform and made their way toward the receptionist area where several parents were waiting.

All except one.

"Hey, kid," Emma said, plopping down beside Henry, who sat on the platform steps.

Henry looked up at her with bright eyes and gave her a crooked smile. "Hey, Birdy!"

"Did you enjoy the lesson today?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I love the lessons every day, though."

Emma snorted. This kid was adorable. "I'm glad you like them."

"You know what else I like?"

Emma raised an eyebrow at his impish tone. "What?"

"That you and my mom now have lunch dates. So, when are you guys going to have a real dinner date?"

Emma chuckled at the sly smile on the eight year old's face. This kid, man. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard my mom telling Uncle David that she's starting to warm up to the idea of getting back in the game…" Henry scrunched up his eyebrows. "Or whatever that means. Then she said that she really liked you. So, I'm guessing she wants to date you, even if she wore scrubs to work today instead of the black dress I picked out for her. But-"

Emma cut him off with a howl of laughter. The laughter died in her throat when she caught sight of Henry's disgruntled expression. A soft smile pulled at her lips at the expression. He really was adorable. Emma brought up a hand to muss up his hair. Henry ducked his head and looked at her with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry," Emma apologized for her outburst, fighting hard to keep a straight face. "Finish what you were saying."

Henry cleared his throat and eyed Emma pointedly. "If my mom doesn't ask you out on an official date within the next two weeks, then you need to ask her out. I think she's scared to take the next step," Henry told her in a low whisper.

Emma furrowed her brow. Was this kid Oprah reincarnate? Was she really about to take dating advice from an eight year old?

"Henry, come on, kiddo!" David's voice bellowed through the gym, startling the pair from their conversation.

Henry put his arms through the loops of his backpack straps and descended the steps of the platform. Before taking off toward David, Henry gave Emma a bright smile and offered some parting advice.

"My mom really likes you, and she loves a person who takes initiative."

Before Emma could respond, the boy skipped through the doors leading to the main gym where David stood waiting for him. David waved at her and she waved back, watching her two friends' disappearing forms.

Take initiative, he said.

Was Emma really going to take dating advice from an eight year old? Probably.


	8. Chapter 8

On Friday evening, after Regina had picked up Henry from the gym and told her she couldn't wait to see her in the ring, Emma felt herself begin to panic. The comical wink and thumbs up Henry had given her behind his mother's back as they exited the gym hadn't helped her nerves, either. Emma had never had performance anxiety before (in any sense of the term) but as she danced around the ring with August - who'd stepped in as her practice opponent - Emma felt completely off her game. Judging by the hit August managed to land on her, he could see it, too.

"Relax, Emma," he said in a soothing voice, placing his gloved hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture. Emma relaxed under his touch. "Stop being nervous. You're undefeated, Em; no one has ever fought against you and won. I get that Regina is totally hot and all, but when you're fighting, don't let her hotness distract you."

Emma chuckled and shot him a wry smile. "You have _seen_ her, right?"

August smirked and nodded, playfully shaking her shoulders in his loose, glove-covered grasp. "I'd have to be blind not to see how hot she is. Doesn't mean you should let it distract you, though. If Regina were standing opposite you in the ring, you'd lose your undefeated status, for sure."

"Good thing she doesn't box," Emma joked, shaking out the tenseness in her shoulders. Stepping out of August's loose grasp, Emma offered the man a lopsided grin. "Are we going to finish practicing or what?"

August grinned and stepped back to his side of the ring, nodding to Robbie, who had been standing there the entire time, waiting to ring the bell. A few seconds later, the bell dinged and August dove forward, gloved fists at the ready. He swung once (Emma ducking under his swinging fist) and then twice (Emma jumping back before his fist could collide with her abdomen). He was really going in for the kill, doing his best to prevent Emma from getting a swing in. So far, he had succeeded.

Until Emma found her opening.

He continued to swing at her – Emma blocking and dodging every swing – leaving his abdomen open for attack. With his next swing – aiming for Emma's face – Emma sidestepped his punch and delivered a sharp jab to his stomach. August doubled over in pain and Emma smirked. Robbie entered the ring a moment later - when August had yet to recover - and playfully lifted Emma's arm in the air.

"We've got a winner!" Robbie cheered, eliciting a few hoots and hollers from the men and women practicing in the neighboring rings.

Emma wasn't the only one practicing for tomorrow's event; majority of everyone who had signed up for FFC was inside of the boxing gymnasium doing the same exact thing. Some were there to practice with friends, while others were there to scope out the competition. More than once throughout her practice session, Emma had felt eyes burning holes in her back.

Whenever she glanced around the gym, her eyes connected with a new pair of eyes. Some people studied her, some people glared at her, and some people looked in awe of her. Emma shrugged off the looks every time, deciding to pay them no mind.

She wasn't worried about facing any of them. Her biggest opponent tomorrow wasn't going to be any of them; her biggest opponent was going to be herself. And Regina, if she was being completely honest with herself. As long as she didn't look at the woman during her matches, she'd be fine.

* * *

After practice, Emma went back to her apartment and showered, changing into a comfortable pair of black boxer shorts and a black tank top. She ran her fingers through her damp, blonde hair and pulled the damp locks over her right shoulder as she walked out of her bedroom. She looked around at her empty walls and clear tables, and made a note to hang up some posters and add some photos of her friends to the coffee table. She'd been living in her apartment for a month now, and it still didn't look lived in. She'd have to change that soon.

Entering the living room, Emma grabbed her phone off the coffee table and settled against the couch cushions, ready for a quiet night in with some takeout and trashy reality television. She'd usually call Regina around this time, but the woman texted her before her shower to tell her she'd be having a dinner date with her sister and Henry at some fancy restaurant outside of Boston. Emma would just have to settle for her television to entertain her tonight.

Flipping through the contents of her phone, her phone began to buzz in her hand. Seeing David's name flash across her phone screen, she answered.

"Hey, what's up?" she said into the receiver.

" _I've got a six pack of beer and a Scream movie marathon with your name on it. MM is going out with her girls, and Regina hates horror movies, mainly because I have yet to find one that can actually scare her. So, I figured, hey, what's my oldest and dearest friend doing? It's been a while since you and I have had any one-on-one time. So, what do you say? Mind if I come over and we have a bro night?""_

And that was how Emma found herself seated beside David in her living room with a beer in her hand, and Neve Campbell punching Courtney Cox in the face on her television screen. It wasn't the quiet night she'd planned, but she didn't mind David's company.

They'd mostly watched the movie in silence, David throwing out a few remarks every now and then and Emma stuffing her face with the bear claws David had brought over, knowing it was her favorite pastry. The silence was comfortable and companionable, and Emma soon found herself dozing off.

Until David opened his mouth, revealing the true motive for his visit.

"So, when are you going to ask Regina out?" David asked as he took a sip of his beer, his tone casual.

Emma leaned back in her couch, allowing the soft cushions to swallow her whole, and shrugged, rolling her eyes at his lack of subtlety. "Soon," she replied.

David raised an eyebrow at the statement, excitement shining in his eyes. "Wait, seriously? You're actually going to do it?"

Emma thought back to her conversation with Henry the previous day, and the encouraging wink and thumbs up he gave her when his mom came to pick him up from class earlier that day. The kid seemed to think it was a good idea, and lately, since their first lunch date, Regina had become flirtier than usual. When they'd first met a few weeks ago and had their first phone conversation, Regina had been hesitant to flirt with Emma but, now, it seemed to come naturally to the other woman.

But they were friends now, and with friendship, came comfort and playfulness. Even if Regina's hesitance to flirt had melted away, it didn't mean that she was ready for Emma to make another move. Emma wasn't going to outright ask her out until she was positive it was what the other woman wanted.

Emma had had her fair share of overly persistent douchebags who couldn't take no for an answer and she wasn't about to become one of them. But, if there was anyone who knew where Regina was in her… _process_ , it would be David. Emma figured it couldn't hurt to ask him what he thought about the whole thing.

"Does Regina want me to ask her out? Like, is she warming up to the idea?" Emma asked, wringing her hands together nervously.

David grinned and playfully bumped his shoulder against hers. "She's been warming up to the idea ever since you gave her your number. She wanted to get to know you before anything happened. So far, she likes what she sees."

"You think she'll say yes if I ask her out next week?"

David laughed. "You won't know until you ask. But, between you and me, I have it on good authority that she's most definitely considering saying yes."

Emma blushed at the knowing smile on her friend's face and smiled to herself.

"Regina turning you down the first time was partially due to her not being ready to date again, but there was a much bigger reason behind her initial rejection." Emma waited for him to continue. After taking a few sips of his beer, he did. "Henry is the most important person in Regina's life; he's her whole world. For Regina, being single and being her own boss gives her the opportunity to be readily available to her son whenever he needs her. Her son comes first."

Emma nodded; she understood that. It was part of what drew her to the woman. Regina wasn't only hilarious, intelligent, beautiful, and so damn easy to be around – she was also an amazing mother who was dedicated to both her son and keeping the memory of his father alive through her practice. Of course, Regina hadn't told her that was the reason for her starting her private practice, but Emma could put two-and-two together.

"Of course."

"And Henry seems to be quite taken with you. Regina has had a lot of suitors over the years, and Henry has hated all of them," David told her with a fond chuckle. "There was Robin, who Henry hated with a fiery passion. Then, there was Sienna and Kate and Nathan. They had little-to-no interest in Henry, and Henry had little-to-no interest in them, so Regina had never tried to pursue a relationship with any of them. They weren't good enough for her and her little prince. But you…" David trailed off, grinning. "They both seem smitten with you."

Emma blushed harder, trying to fight off the large smile threatening to spread across her face. "You're full of shit," she deflected with a disbelieving laugh.

David shook his head in earnest. "I promise I'm not. I think you two would be a perfect fit, if you gave it a chance."

Emma looked at him, noting his earnest eyes and sincere smile. If Regina's best friend and son thought it was a good idea, then what was holding her back? Was she about to take advice from her oldest friend and an eight year old boy? Definitely.

* * *

It was Saturday night, the boxing gymnasium was packed, and the energy in the room was palpable. Participants stood by their assigned rings, looking all types of nervous and excited; spectators stood around random rings, chatting animatedly with the people crowded around them, pointing to the scheduled lineup with unbridled eagerness. Emma stood at the back of the room with August, overlooking the steadily growing crowd.

The men and women competing were already donning their boxing gear – their hands cocooned inside of their boxing gloves and their cheeks and foreheads covered by their headgear. Some wore boxing shoes, while others opted to wear their everyday sneakers. Emma hoped they didn't slip inside the ring; that was just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Emma grabbed August's wrist – the man was currently chatting up a female boxer – and stared at the time on his watch, seeing it was seven p.m. The first three matches were set to begin in fifteen minutes. Emma watched Belle and her girlfriend, Ruby, call out the first six names on the list and send them to ring _3_. Robbie, who was standing atop the platform of ring _3_ , compared the weights and heights of the six participants and paired them off, putting them aside for the lineup.

This month, a total of forty-eight boxers signed up, and judging by the size of the crowd, there was over one hundred and fifty spectators. It was a great outcome.

But not great enough, in Emma's opinion. Because, in the large sea of people, the face she was looking for had yet to be spotted. She was getting antsy and when she got antsy, her hands fidgeted at her sides. She felt a hand still her jittery hands and looked up to find August already looking at her.

"Chill, Em. She'll be here," he assured her.

He knew her too well; it was like he could read her mind sometimes. It was freaky.

Emma nodded and released a shaky breath. "Yeah, totally. I know."

She didn't sound very convincing. August just chuckled and snaked his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side as he continued chatting up the female boxer. The woman looked amused at his antics, and Emma could tell that his brotherly antics endeared him to her.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the bi-monthly Feather Fight Club Tournament. Tonight, we will watch forty-eight boxers go head-to-head in a series of matches, leading up to the final match between the two undefeated fighters. The winner will receive $200 in prize money, a free FFC t-shirt, courtesy of Miss Ruby Lucas,"_ the announcer, Shawn (one of LAAF's trainers), said, pointing to Ruby, who stood to the side of the ring with Belle, _"bragging rights, and a custom-made championship belt. You will also get your picture on the FFC wall of fame."_

August mussed up Emma's hair with his knuckles and Emma ducked away from his offending hand. His deep chuckle rumbled near her ear.

" _I need everyone participating in the event, minus our first six boxers, to gather inside ring 1_ _until your name is called for the next set of matches."_

August looked at her. "Looks like that's you, kid. Go knock 'em dead."

Emma rolled her eyes and shrugged his arm off of her shoulders, making her way through the crowd. Her eyes roamed over the faces of everyone she'd passed, but there was still no sign of Regina. The woman said she'd be here, but she was nowhere to be found. Emma didn't want to believe that the brunette had stood her up, but the possibility had become more and more likely as time progressed. Doors had opened an over an hour ago.

Emma felt her hopes deflate.

Approaching the crowd ascending the steps onto the ring _1_ platform, Emma felt her shoulders droop in disappointment. As she ascended the steps and settled into one of the corners, her eyes focused on the platform, where two white boxing shoes appeared in her line of sight. Emma furrowed her eyebrows and allowed her eyes to roam over the person standing before her, from their well-worn boxing shoes, to their smooth, tan legs and defined calves; all the way up to their thigh-length black gym shorts and semi-loose, black tank top. When Emma's eyes reached the person's face, she gasped.

Staring back at her were familiar chocolate brown eyes that twinkled with mirth, and plump, red lips that were curved into a playful smile.

"Regina?"

"Oh, didn't August tell you? I signed up to compete after picking up Henry yesterday."

Emma gaped at the smirking woman.

"You box?" Emma choked out in a strangled voice.

"I had an overbearing mother growing up. I needed some way to rid myself of all the pent up aggression."

"Are you any good?" Emma couldn't help but ask, because what the hell was even going on right now?

"During my five year boxing career – not professionally, of course. It was simply a high school and college hobby – I managed to acquire ten trophies and two belts. Nothing too serious," Regina shrugged, as if it were old, tedious news.

And maybe it was. To _her_. But it was news to Emma and, wow, she really needed to close her mouth and stop looking like an idiot in front of this beautiful and amazingly mysterious woman.

"Nothing serious? Are you even serious right now?" Emma retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Regina raised an eyebrow and ran her fingers through her ponytail. Emma's eyes followed the action. She'd seen the woman's hair pulled back more often than not, but somehow seeing her hair in a ponytail, while dressed entirely in boxing attire, completely changed things.

Emma's eyes roamed over toned, tanned arms appreciatively and it took everything inside of her to keep her eyes above the woman's waist; she was tempted to get another peek at the woman's defined calves.

"You know, I think this tournament will benefit us both," Regina mused aloud, snapping Emma out of her staring contest with Regina's arms.

"How so?"

Regina stepped closer to Emma, leveled her mouth with her ear, and whispered, "Now we both have an excuse to see each other half-naked and slick with sweat."

Shivers ran down Emma's spine at the suggestive tone and she felt the air leave her lungs. Her mouth suddenly felt abnormally dry.

Regina pulled back and smirked at Emma's dazed expression, just as Robbie entered the ring to pair off the next six participants. They listened as he called out names and pulled aside the next set of fighters, informing them of who their opponents would be. Regina watched them with a bored expression, while Emma watched her with an intrigued one.

Just when Emma thought she'd had the brunette figured out, she's sent spiraling backward with an uppercut to the chin.

K.O. Round two. Start again.

 _Forget asking her out next week,_ Emma mused. She was going to do it by the end of the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FFC Part 1

Regina didn't know what possessed her to do it. While Henry chatted with friends from his class, Regina went off in search of the man hosting the upcoming health club event. Once spotting the man in question, Regina took a deep breath, mentally reevaluated the decision she was about to make, and came to the conclusion that, yes, she was going to do this. It'd been a while since she'd stepped foot inside of a ring, and if she were being completely honest with herself, she'd missed the thrill of it; the adrenaline coursing through her veins, heightening her senses, and the fear she could smell wafting off of her opponent.

The thought alone was enough to steel her resolve.

Approaching the man with confident strides, Regina pulled August aside and asked him if it was too late to sign up for FFC. The man had looked surprised at the question, but a smirk soon took residence on his face as he handed her the registration form.

"You box?" He asked, giving her body a quick onceover, as if he'd expected her to flex for him. There was nothing sexual about his stare; it was merely just a curious glance. Regina felt almost offended by the man's skepticism.

Regina shrugged and responded, "I dabbled in boxing for a little over five years, during my high school and early college years. I'm nowhere near as skilled as Emma, but I was certainly good in my day," Regina told him, feigning indifference.

She'd never actually seen Emma box, but she _had_ seen the woman fight, and she was amazing (if the MMA videos she'd found of the woman on Youtube were anything to go by). The woman was skilled, quick, and agile. Regina wasn't one-hundred percent sure that she could beat the woman in a match, but she had no doubt that she could hold her own against her, should it ever come to that.

August hummed in response, regarding her curiously. Under his unabashed scrutiny, Regina felt like an insect under a microscope.

"Did you ever win anything?"

Regina shrugged, trying to keep her expression impassive as she filled out the form. "I've won a few awards and belts here and there."

"You and Emma are around the same weight and height. Depending on how you do in the first few rounds, there's a good chance you'll have to face her in the ring," he informed her, his eyebrow raised in challenge. "Are you sure you want to risk going up against your future girlfriend?"

Regina chuckled and locked eyes with August, his baby blues twinkling with a mixture of amusement and wariness. "I think I can handle Miss Swan."

Regina ignored the flutter in her chest at the words "future girlfriend" and did her best to focus on completing the form before she chickened out. She averted her gaze from August, who was currently smiling at her as if she had made his entire week. Seeing his best friend – possibly – have to share a ring with the girl she'd recently become friends with was probably the best news he'd heard in a while. Regina could only imagine how David would react when she told him about this. He'd been trying to get her back in the ring ever since he'd learned of her past boxing experience. Knowing that she might have to face Emma at some point during the event made the decision all the more daunting….and exhilarating.

Regina made a mental note to ask David to help her practice before the big event.

Completing the final section of the form – that asked about level of boxing experience and if she'd read through the safety regulations – Regina signed her name at the bottom of the form and handed it to August. August took the form, looked over it to make sure she hadn't left anything blank, and then looked back to her, a pleased grin on his face.

"Everything looks good. So, tomorrow, on the day of the match, you'll need to sign in at six-thirty and be in the boxing gymnasium no later than six-fifty. We usually start pairing fighters up at seven, and the first match is set to begin at seven-thirty after we've paired off our first twelve fighters."

Regina nodded at the information being relayed to her, and mentally stored it all away for later.

"Make sure to come dressed in comfortable clothing – preferably shorts, a t-shirt and some sneakers," August paused, giving Regina's form a quick onceover. "Do you own your own gear?"

Regina nodded, thinking about the boxing shoes she had hidden in the back of her closet, behind three rows of heels, sandals, and work sneakers. They were white, well-worn and loved, and had scuff marks all over the front of them. Regina had had them throughout high school and halfway through college; they were a gift from her father, who had kept her fighting a secret from her mother and sister until she'd entered college. There was also the pairs of white and black boxing gloves (and the matching white and black headgear) that she'd kept stored away in the attic, along with the rest of her boxing trophies, medals, and belts. She hadn't had the heart to throw them away, figuring she'd want to use them again eventually.

'Eventually' came a lot sooner than she'd thought.

"Good," said August as he extended his hand to her.

Regina allowed her hand to be enveloped by his larger one, and gave it a firm shake that left him smirking.

"What?" She asked.

August shrugged, his smirk melting into a warm smile. "Nothing, I just – I barely know you, yet I can already tell that you and Emma would be great together. I see why she likes you so much."

Regina blushed, her cheeks tinging the faintest shade of pink, and tossed her hair over her shoulder self-consciously. "She's pretty great."

August playfully nudged her shoulder with his hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "No need to be shy about it. It's obvious you like her just as much she likes you. When you two become a couple – and we both know that it's inevitable at this point – make sure you treat her right."

There was a thinly-veiled threat in there, but you wouldn't know it by the smile on his face. Regina heard it, however, and nodded to make sure the man knew that she understood.

August hummed his approval and cleared his throat, switching back to professional mode. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way," he chortled, "let's finish discussing business. Tomorrow, once you sign in, you'll be required to pay a twenty-five dollar fee in order to complete your registration. We usually don't allow people to pay before the night of the event because, in the past, we've had people that decided to back out last minute, leaving us with an uneven amount of fighters. Leaving the payment for last ensures that they don't waste their money, and we don't waste our slot on someone who'll go MIA."

"That sounds like a smart idea."

"Emma came up with it. She's highly intelligent and extremely business savvy. I'm no businessman, so if it weren't for her, this place would probably have been shut down and replaced with a Starbucks by now," August disclosed, a proud glint in his eyes at the mention of his best friend's leadership skills and success. "You know, she's also a great cook."

Regina laughed at the random comment and adjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind. I need to get going now, so I'll see you tomorrow. It was nice officially meeting you, August," she said kindly as she turned on her heel and walked toward her son, who was chatting with Belle at the receptionist's desk.

"See you later, future best-friend-in-law!" He called after her, causing a flush to creep up Regina's neck.

Regina approach her son and smiled politely at Belle, while informing Henry that it was time to go. Henry waved goodbye to Belle and followed his mother out to the parking lot.

"What did you talk to Nightingale about?"

"Nothing," Regina answered quickly.

"Why did he call you his 'future best-friend-in-law'?"

Instead of answering, Regina opened up his car door and got him settled in his booster seat.

* * *

"You're joking, right?" Zelena asked in bewilderment as she placed her flute of champagne back on the table.

They were seated across each other at a five-star French restaurant in Cambridge, with Henry tucked into Regina's side, fast asleep. The boy had passed out ten minutes ago, due to eating his body weight in strawberry shortcake. Zelena, while not inherently warm in nature, was always quite great with him. She spoiled him rotten and treated him like a prince. It wasn't often that they got to see each other but, when they did, Zelena more than made up for the lost time.

"You're actually allowing your son to take part in such a barbaric sport?"

"Are you forgetting that I, too, used to box?"

Zelena scoffed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, but you were much older and could actually hold your own against your opponents. Henry is an uncoordinated child that fights with words, not fists. Your son is the next J.K. Rowling, not the next Muhammad Ali."

Regina snorted with amusement. "While I don't entirely disagree with you, Henry is actually getting quite good. At least, his boxing instructor seems to think so."

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. The Cheshire grin splitting Zelena's face told Regina that her sister knew about Emma. Regina glanced at her sleeping son and glared. She was going to kill Mary-Margaret for passing down her gabby tendencies to her son.

"Ah, the infamous Birdy. I've heard so much about you and this mystery woman," Zelena looked absolutely elated by the fact. There was a teasing glint in her eyes, but her tone was sincere. It threw Regina. "Tell me, sis, have you asked her out yet?"

Regina blanched. What? "I'm sorry, what? No snarky comments or insults about her profession? No, 'you're too good for her, Regina'?"

Who was this woman, and what had she done with her overly judgmental older sister?

To Regina's surprise, a genuine smile crossed her sister's face. "Nope. From what I've heard from Henry and David-

"You talked to David?"

Zelena ignored her and continued where she left off, unperturbed by the disruption. "-this mystery woman makes you and Henry light up like Christmas trees, and if she has both of your interests at heart and makes you both happy, then, by all means, go for it, woman!"

Regina blinked at her sister, startled by the genuine encouragement coming from the usually uppity woman. Zelena was five years older than Regina and had spent most of her childhood in England with her father, Robert. As a child, Regina had only seen her during summer vacations and Christmas breaks – until Zelena moved to Boston at the age of eighteen and lived with her and their mother for the next four years.

Even though they had lived 3,269 miles apart for most of Regina's childhood, they'd been surprisingly close. When Zelena moved in with them, they'd become even closer, though, Regina couldn't help but notice how much of a pain in the ass her sister was when they'd lived together full-time.

Zelena had always been the teasing type of older sister; one who'd taken it upon herself to research each and every one of Regina's boyfriends and girlfriends so that she could find something dissatisfactory about them that she could hold over Regina's head. Dissatisfactory to Zelena was what most normal people found satisfactory – preferable, even. For Zelena to encourage her to date someone that Regina knew she would never have approved of in the past was shocking.

Regina felt disconcerted by the sudden approval.

"Okay," Regina responded in dazed confusion, picking up her flute of champagne from the table to take a few sips.

"Good," Zelena nodded. "So, tell me about this event that you're fighting in tomorrow night."

Regina choked on the champagne, stiltedly placing the flute on the table, where half the champagne in the glass sloshed over the sides and spilled onto the tablecloth. "How the hell did you know about that?" She hadn't told Henry about it, and the only person she had told was…

"David told me."

Mary-Margaret and Henry weren't the only big mouths in her family.

* * *

All the events that occurred the day before had led her to this point.

Regina had found herself leaning against the ropes of the ring beside Emma, ignoring the flutter of nerves flapping around her gut. The first three matches were currently in progress, and Regina watched her competition fight from her view in ring _1._ They were obviously amateurs. The short, stocky redhead in ring _2_ kept swinging too hard, too fast, and repeatedly lost her balance, nearly tripping headfirst into her opponent's – a lanky blonde – chest. The ripped, raven-haired woman in ring _4_ – while intimidating in appearance, with her well-defined abs and bulging biceps – had no clue how to utilize her strength in the ring. Her opponent, however – a toned brunette – used the woman's disadvantages to her advantage and had knocked her out by the end of round one.

And then there were the men in ring _6_ , who were even worse than the women. Both men were large and muscular, but neither seemed to know what to do with their hands and feet; they just sort of shuffled around each other with their fists half-raised, throwing wide punches that only connected with air, instead of each other.

It was painful to watch.

"The amateurs always fight first. It's the best way to weed out the weakest links," Emma said in her ear, causing Regina to startle with their sudden close proximity.

"I didn't say anything," Regina muttered.

Emma made an amused noise in the back of her throat and shot her a knowing look. " _You_ didn't say anything, but your face said it all. You look unimpressed and perturbed by their lack of skill. You watch their every move with the critical eye of a boxing coach, and it's obvious what you're thinking. If you're as good as I am betting you are, then you'll only be facing opponents with your similar level of skill and experience."

Regina sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

Emma grinned. "Kind of, but it's sort of adorable."

Regina felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment and averted her gaze to the ongoing matches. Emma released a breathy chuckle that caused shivers to run down her spine, but she held it together, and kept facing forward. She quickly got bored of the matches going on and dropped her gaze from the occupied rings, to the crowd standing below them.

And that was when she saw two familiar sets of eyes darting between her and Emma, matching grins stretched across their mouths. Regina rolled her eyes at the thumbs up she received from David and the exaggerated eyebrow wiggle she received from her sister. They were standing nearby, loitering near the boxing gymnasium's entryway, away from the large throngs of people huddled near the three occupied rings. Regina felt her eyes roll at their obviousness.

She felt like a teenager whose parents came to an important match with large, embarrassing signs, making it known to everyone in the gymnasium that she was their kid. While neither person had made a sign, it was obvious to anyone with decent vision that they were there for her; their eyes never left her and when she returned their gaze, they grinned widely.

"Is that your sister?"

Regina looked at Emma, who was looking in the direction of David and Zelena.

Regina glared the staring pair and nodded. "Yup, that's the she-devil, in the flesh."

"She came to watch you fight?"

"Among other things," Regina murmured.

Their conversation was cut off by the ding of the bell, signaling the end of the first set of matches. The winners – the lanky blonde, the toned brunette, and buff guy number 2 – were ushered to stand at the back of the crowded room, while the next set of six were ushered onto the platforms of rings _2_ , _4_ , and _6_.

"The winners from this set are going to face the winners from the first set," Emma whispered to her as the new participants took their places on the platforms. "Then a new set of six will be called, and the winners of that set will face the winners of the previous set, and so on. It'll go on like that until they narrow it down to the final two. The final two could be two women, two men, or a man and a woman. We don't discriminate here. If you're good, then you're good; the gender of the fighter is a non-issue."

Regina had no doubt that Emma had made it to the final round several times and won. It was obvious in the way she'd said 'If you're good, then you're good', and in the way that she shrugged with feigned nonchalance. How many times had Emma been the champion of this event?

"Alright, huddle around, guys," came the voice of one of the gym's trainers as he stepped onto the platform of their ring with a clipboard in his hand. "I'm going to pair off the next twelve. When I call your name, stand beside me."

He called twelve names – none of which were Regina's or Emma's – and asked them to follow him just as the next set of matches began.

"Might as well get comfortable, Regina," Emma told her, sounding bored. "We're going to be here a while."

"Can I ask you a question?" Emma suddenly looked nervous, but nodded, nonetheless. "How many times have you won this thing?"

Emma cleared her throat awkwardly and mumbled out an answer that Regina couldn't quite make out. "I'm sorry? Can you repeat that?"

Emma cleared her throat again and answered in a louder voice, though, it was only slightly louder than her mumble. "I've won all of them."

Regina's eyes bulged.

Well, shit.


	10. Chapter 10

Twenty-four matches later, and Regina found herself in the spotlight, standing opposite her first opponent, Karen Matthews. Karen was an energetic twenty-five year old woman with six years of boxing experience and three _National Collegiate Boxing Association_ regional championships under her belt. The woman was five feet three inches tall, and one-hundred and fifteen pounds of pure muscle. She was pretty, with her flawless caramel-colored skin, her bright, hazel eyes, and her neat, slicked back ponytail. Karen's black sports bra and matching spandex shorts left little to the imagination; the woman was absolutely ripped.

Regina could practically see her biceps quivering, and her abs looked like they were chiseled by the gods themselves. Regina looked down at her baggy tank top and gym shorts and suddenly felt very out of shape. Her arms were toned – for the most part – and so were her calves and thighs. But, that seemed to be the extent of her toned body parts.

Regina briefly looked toward the small group huddled near her ring and caught Emma's eye. Emma was set to fight in the next round and Regina couldn't wait to see her in action (mostly because she knew she wouldn't have to face Emma in the next round). With an encouraging smile on her face, the blonde winked at Regina and offered her a thumbs up. Her green eyes were bright and anxious and, if Regina didn't know any better, she could also spot a tinge of pride lingering in her gaze.

Regina smiled at Emma before turning back to face her opponent. Karen had been sweet and open when she and Regina had been paired together before the match, but now that sweetness was gone. Standing before Regina was a woman with a fire in her eyes that would surely set her aflame if she stared too long. Karen's body language was no longer open and inviting; it was aggressive and predatory, ready to strike at any given moment. She might as well have worked for _American Red Cross_ , because she was out for blood.

Regina puffed out her chest and steeled her resolve; she was going to be that stubborn vein that refused to cooperate with the needle. She was going to put up one hell of a fight and, judging by the challenging glint in her opponent's eyes, she knew it, too. Karen wasn't going to get a drop of blood out of Regina, but she was going to make it hard for Regina to keep her blood inside her veins.

Before the ding of the bell, Regina heard a few excited hollers coming from nearby and looked out into the crowd, squinting against the bright lights. When her vision adjusted to the light, she saw Zelena and David whistling and cheering and screaming her name and – yup, Zelena was definitely holding up a small sign that read, " _Kick ass, sis_!" Regina rolled her eyes at her sister's antics. Where the hell had she even gotten that?

She almost felt eighteen again. When Zelena had first found out about her boxing hobby, she came to every single match and always brought homemade signs – one more outrageous than the last. Suffice to say, everyone in that college gymnasium knew who she was related to. She had no doubt that that was also the case now.

"Good luck," Regina heard a voice say near her ear.

Regina looked to the woman in front of her - noting her sincere eyes - and nodded, returning the sentiment. "You too."

The bell dinged, and round one began.

Regina brought her gloved fists up to her cheeks and allowed her feet to dance around the ring. Karen did the same and tracked Regina's every move with her eyes with a hawk-like stare. She was waiting for Regina to make the first move so that she could strike, but Regina refused to take the bait. Her opponent was getting antsy, and Regina waited for the woman's inevitable slip up. She was not disappointed.

Regina could see the twitch in Karen's left arm and the slight jolt in her right leg. She was gearing up to deliver a left hook to Regina's cheek, just waiting to catch Regina off-guard. That wasn't going to happen.

Just as Karen's hands moved a few inches away from their guarding position at her cheeks to take the shot, Regina found her opening. She delivered five subsequent, well-placed jabs to her opponent's abdomen. They were quick, like strikes of lightning, but they'd left a noticeable impact. The woman doubled over slightly and Regina pulled back, putting a few feet of distance between them as the woman caught her bearings.

When she recovered, she straightened to her full height, preparing to deliver a counterattack, but she never got the chance. Regina delivered a sharp uppercut to her chin that sent her sprawling onto the platform. After several moments of her opponent not making any move to stand back up – her gloved fists cradling her chin – the bell dinged, signaling the end of the first round.

The referee helped Karen up during the one minute break between rounds. Karen eyed Regina with an unreadable look as she got to her feet and moved her jaw around to rid it of its soreness. Headgear wasn't an option for the event, so Karen felt the full impact of the punch. Regina wasn't looking forward to what Karen would bring during round two. Her face was already screaming with pain and she hadn't even been hit yet.

A moment later, the bell dinged and round two began.

It didn't take long for Karen to attack. Regina had anticipated the aggressive movements, however, and sidestepped the woman's flying fists. She delivered a heavy cross to the side of Karen's face that caused her head to snap sideways. A small dribble of blood bubbled out of her mouth at the contact and Regina jumped back, just in time to dodge her opponent's oncoming punch.

The remaining minute of the round went by without another punch being thrown.

* * *

Regina took the minute break between rounds to catch her breath. She glanced down at Emma, who was standing closest to the ring, casually leaning against it and looking up at her.

"You're doing great, Regina. Just one more round and you'll move on to the next phase," Emma yelled up to her over the excited chatter of the crowd.

Regina smiled at her in response and rolled her neck and shoulders around, preparing for the final round.

The bell rang and Karen stood back, her fists guarding her face. She wasn't attacking first this time, so Regina assumed that she'd finally learned her lesson. Regina wondered how she'd managed to win three NCBA championships. She wasn't a bad boxer per se, she was just overly aggressive and impatient in the ring. Her movements were urged and sloppy and lacked the skill Regina would have associated with a three time NCBA champion. Karen was an 'attack first, worry about technique later' type of girl and Regina would have admired it, had she actually managed to land a punch on her.

Karen's hands moved an inch away from her cheeks, leaving them slightly exposed. Regina took her shot. Delivering another heavy cross to her opponent's face, Regina watched the woman stumble sideways, before regaining her balance. Karen narrowed her eyes at Regina, looking for an opening. She didn't find one.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the match, and the referee walked onto the platform, raising Regina's arm in the air. She'd won.

She heard piercing whistles coming from the crowd and squinted against the lights to see David and Zelena with their fingers in their mouth, trying to out-whistle one another. Zelena caught her eye and waved the small sign in her free hand. Regina rolled her eyes and brought her attention to the blonde she knew was standing nearby. Emma looked up at her in awe as the referee signaled for them to get off the platform so the next participants could take their place. Regina stretched out the ropes and climbed through them, jumping from the platform to land beside Emma.

"Dude, you were incredible," Emma breathed out the moment Regina's feet touched the ground.

Regina blushed, her face flushed with exertion from the fight. "Thanks."

"If you keep fighting like that, we'll end up meeting in the ring," Emma said jokingly, though her expression was completely serious.

"Scared?" Regina teased.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah."

The next participants were called to enter their respective rings. Emma offered Regina a lopsided grin as she laid her stomach and legs on the platform and rolled under the lowest rope to enter the ring. With a confused expression, Regina watched Emma rise to her feet and put on her gloves.

Why was she scared?

* * *

Watching Emma fight was an experience unlike any other. The woman was agile, quick, and powerful, making it obvious to spectators that she was the one in charge. Emma had a sixth sense for predicting movements; before her opponent had even moved, Emma was on them, delivering sharp jabs that left them gasping for air. She dodged their attacks with a gracefulness one would attribute to a ballerina, not a boxer. Watching Emma fight was like watching a big stage production of Swan Lake; you couldn't help but be mesmerized by the performance.

The bell signaling the end of the match dinged and Emma's arm was raised in victory. She held out her hand to her opponent, who took it with trembling hands, and a jerky handshake followed.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" said David, who was standing beside her.

"Yeah," Regina breathed out in awe.

"I sure hope you don't have to face her, little sister. You'd be doomed," Zelena quipped, a teasing smile on her face.

"You're so encouraging," Regina deadpanned.

"That's what I'm here for."

* * *

Several matches later and it was down to the final four. Regina had been paired with a woman named Andrea Fuentes and Emma had been paired with a man named Phil Simon. Regina's opponent, Andrea, had ten years of boxing experience, but she'd never competed in a league; like Emma, boxing was just a fun side hobby for her. Regina had watched her compete in earlier rounds and she was impressed with what she saw. This woman was going to give her a run for her money.

Regina stretched out her arms and legs and watched as Andrea did the same. The woman was five feet six inches tall, thirty years old, and wore a loose tank top and shorts similar to Regina's. Her shoes and gloves were well-worn and her stance was guarded. Unlike Karen, and her last two opponents, this woman was prepared. Regina could see the gears turning in her head as she planned her moves in advance. The match hadn't even begun yet and she was already looking for a strategy. Regina would be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit nervous.

Regina put on her gloves and tightened the string to secure them. She glanced over at the neighboring and saw Emma doing the same, while she conversed with her opponent. They both had smiles on their faces as they stretched their limbs and adjusted their gloves. The man looked at Emma with kindness and respect, and Regina felt herself warm at the look. Emma had everyone wrapped around her finger, including Regina.

(Especially Regina).

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Regina's attention shifted away from Emma, to the woman standing in front of her. The knowing smile on her face made Regina uneasy.

Regina cleared her throat. "She's not my girlfriend. We're just friends."

Andrea's smile widened as she looked at something behind Regina. "Well, if I looked at all of my friends the way you two look at each other, I'm sure everyone around me would have many questions."

Regina felt her cheeks flush at the observation and averted her gaze to her scuffed up shoes. Luckily, the awkward silence that followed was cut short as the referee came onto the platform and signaled for the match to begin. At the sound of the bell, the two women began their dance around the ring, their eyes staring critically at one another. Regina kept her face and abdomen guarded and watched Andrea assess her every move. Unlike her previous opponents, Andrea wasn't hasty in her attacks. She didn't attack just for the sake of getting a hit, she attacked for the sake of winning the match.

Regina wasn't sure how it had happened, but the next thing she knew, she was doubled over with a slight pain stabbing at her abdomen. Andrea had jabbed her ten times in under five seconds and she hadn't even anticipated it. She didn't see her coming. It was the left hook to her cheek that did her in, though. Regina felt her head whip to the side of its own accord and could already feel the pain beginning to well up in her cheek. Before Andrea could attack again, the round was over.

"Fuck," Regina hissed under breath as she went to her corner of the ring. She slipped off her right glove, touched her bare hand to her cheek, and hissed at the pain the slight pressure brought about. That was going to bruise.

"Kick her ass, Regina!" was shouted from a few feet away and that familiar British accent could only belong to one person. Regina ignored her, slipped her glove back on - tightening the string with her teeth - and got back into position.

The second round went much like the first one, with Andrea landing jab after jab against her abdomen. Regina managed to deliver a few jabs of her own, but that barely deterred the other woman. The round ended with both of them still standing, only slightly more bruised.

"You got me," Andrea joked as they stretched out their limbs. "You better bring it for the last round. Don't go so easy on me this time."

Regina chuckled. "Trust me when I say that I'm going to give it everything."

Andrea grinned. "You better. Good luck, Regina."

"Yeah, you too."

* * *

Luck wasn't on her side this time. The referee counted the punches thrown and Andrea beat her by ten. The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, and then Regina jumped from the platform to approach her sister and David.

"You did good, kid," David praised as he threw an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his side. "You made it to the final four during your first ever FFC. Not many people can say that."

Zelena took the gloves from her grasp and tied the laces of them together so she could hang them over her shoulder. She, then, offered Regina a wide, genuine smile. "This tournament brought me back to your college competitions. For someone who hasn't boxed in over ten years, you've still got it."

Regina flushed at the compliment and shrugged. "I was okay."

"Look at it this way, at least you won't have to fight your future girlfriend."

Regina rolled her eyes at that and looked toward the center ring, which Emma and Andrea had now occupied. Emma hadn't managed to knock out her opponent, Phil, but she had managed to land more punches on him, making her the winner of the match. The man was standing to the side of the ring with who Regina assumed to be his girlfriend. The man looked completely unbothered by the fact that he had just lost to a woman, and looked rather proud of himself for making it this far. Regina didn't know him, but she liked that about him. She'd seen four men lose their matches to women earlier in the tournament and none of them had taken it well. It was nice to see a different reaction.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, it is the moment we have all been waiting for_ ," announced August from the center of the platform, a cordless microphone in his hand. _"Our final fight will be between Andrea Fuentes and our undefeated champion, Emma Swan."_ The crowd roared with excitement, and August smiled down at them with a giddy grin. _"This is it, you guys. Let the fight begin!"_

The round began and Regina's eyes immediately sought out Emma. The blonde gracefully danced around the ring, her fists in front of her face. She and Andrea studied each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. After two minutes going by with no move being made, Andrea bit the bullet and took a shot at Emma, only for her fist to be blocked by Emma's. With her free hand, Emma swung at Andrea's exposed cheek and delivered a sharp right hook. Andrea fell sideways into the ropes, and tried to catch her bearings. Before she could, the bell signally the end of the round dinged.

Both women retreated to their corners to recuperate. Regina watched Emma take a few deep breaths before her eyes danced around the crowd and landed on her. She felt her heart stutter in her chest when Emma's eyes locked with hers. A shy smile appeared on her face at the eye contact and Regina could feel her lips mirroring the smile. She had it bad.

"You guys are adorably gross," Zelena drawled.

Regina ignored her and focused on Emma. Tonight, after this match, she was going to ask her out. She was ready.

* * *

K.O.

Andrea went down and never got back up. She was officially knocked unconscious and Emma had won. Again. The woman's victory was met with thunderous applause, rowdy cheers, and just overall excitement. August awarded her with a customized championship belt, a t-shirt, and two-hundred dollars in cash. Emma smiled shyly at all of the attention she was getting and graciously thanked her best friend. She held on to her winnings and walked down the steps leading to the ground. Men and women patted her on the back as she passed and offered their congratulations. Emma nodded politely at them and made her way through the crowd, toward Regina.

Regina waited for her to approach with bated breath and gave herself a mental pep talk as Emma grew nearer.

 _You're ready for this, Regina_ , she thought to herself. _You can do this._

"Hey," Emma greeted, sounding slightly out of breath as she approached her.

"Hey," Regina said back. "Congratulations on remaining undefeated."

Emma smiled bashfully. "Congratulations on making it to the top four. That's not an easy feat for any first-timer."

Regina shrugged. "Yeah."

"Where's David? And your sister?"

"They're waiting for me outside."

Truth is, Regina made them leave while she waited for Emma. She didn't need them making it any harder for her to ask her out. They embarrassed her enough today; she deserved a break.

"Oh," Emma mumbled, before nervously rambling out, "I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner tomorrow night."

Regina blinked. Had she heard right?

"I'm sorry?"

"A date," Emma clarified. "Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?" She asked again, her voice now unwavering and confident.

Regina paused. Well, her timing was impeccable. Instead of bringing up the fact that Emma had completely hijacked her plan, Regina simply said…

"Yes. I'd love to."


	11. Chapter 11

Emma pulled up to a large, elegant, two-story home in her beat up yellow bug, and stared up at the home in wonder. Her car looked out of place in the pristine neighborhood, parked beside Regina's black Mercedes Benz, with her impeccably cut - and impeccably _green_ – lawn surrounding the driveway. She felt like Mia Thermopolis approaching her grandmother's mansion for the first time. Emma was surprised that there wasn't a large, iron gate blocking off the house, with an intercom she'd need to speak into to gain entry. She looked around the yard from the front seat of her car, half expecting to see maids and butlers bustling around, trying to complete their tasks so they could take off for the day. Surprisingly, no maids or butlers were present. Instead, there was a redheaded woman seated on the front porch playing patty cake with Henry. The two were giggling and smiling, and Emma found herself smiling at the sight.

The woman must've been Zelena. Emma remembered spotting her at FFC the night before. She was gorgeous and bared little resemblance to Regina, but there was something about the way she carried herself that just had _Mills_ written all over it. Emma watched the woman and child goof around with each other for another minute, before working up the courage to exit her car. She quietly closed the car door behind her as she climbed out, and made her way up the porch steps. The pair seated on the porch stopped their game and looked up at Emma with matching, mischievous grins.

"Hi, Birdy!" Henry greeted, rising from the porch bench to wind his arms around Emma's thighs.

Emma chuckled and ran her fingers through his chocolate curls. "Hey, kid."

Emma could feel Zelena sizing her up and braved a glance in the woman's direction. Her eyes immediately locked with icy blue irises, and she felt herself shrink under the scrutinizing stare. Emma thought it was the parents that were supposed to make her feel this nervous, not the sibling.

"Hi, I'm Emma," Emma greeted awkwardly, one hand still playing with Henry's hair, while the other fidgeted against his shoulder.

"I know who you are," Zelena clipped out. "You won last night. I think my sister could have taken you if that hag hadn't caught her off guard."

Her tone was serious, but her eyes were filled with mirth, and her shoulders were quivering with pent up laughter. Emma allowed a slight, relieved smile to curve her lips.

"Oh yeah?"

Zelena chortled. "No, not really. She would have probably been able to get two or three punches in, at most, but then she'd be down for the rest of the match. You were incredible; it was like no one could touch you."

Emma blushed. The last thing she'd expected before her date with Regina was to be complimented by her sister. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me. I'm just speaking the truth."

Emma smiled and then looked down at Henry, whose chin dug into her stomach as he stared up at her with wide, green eyes. "Are you nervous about your date?" He asked in a sweet voice.

Emma felt herself melt at his concern and cradled his small, chubby face with the palms of her hands. "Very. But I'm sure we'll have fun."

Henry grinned and exclaimed, "Good!"

The front door to the house swung open and there stood Regina, dressed in a form-fitting purple dress. Her hair flowed over her shoulders in luscious, chocolate waves, and her ruby red lips were curved into a shy smile.

"I thought I heard your voice," said Regina. "Are you ready to go?"

Emma discreetly glanced down at her white, button down top, her black skinny jeans, and her black heeled boots, and suddenly felt very underdressed. Regina looked beautiful and elegant, while Emma looked like she was going out to a bar after an eight-hour shift at the Cheesecake Factory. If she wasn't already here, she would have turned around and gone back to her apartment to fetch a different outfit.

"I, uh, yeah," Emma stuttered out. "I guess so. Um, shall we?" Emma asked, offering her arm to Regina as Henry made his way back to his aunt.

Regina chuckled at the chivalrous gesture and lopped her arm through Emma's. "We shall, but before we do," Regina turned to Zelena and Henry. "Have him in bed by nine and don't let him manipulate you into having more than two scoops of ice cream. Any more than two and you'll never get him to sleep. And you, mister," Regina playfully chastised, looking at her son with narrowed eyes. "Be good for your Aunt Zelena, okay?"

Henry gave his mother an offended look and huffed indignantly. "Yes, mommy, I know."

"Good, now give me a kiss."

Regina removed her arm from Emma's and knelt down in front of her son with outstretched arms. Henry walked into her arms and wrapped his arms around her neck, placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek. The two released each other from their hug and Regina stood to her full height, replacing her arm through Emma's.

"See you guys later."

"Bye sis, bye Emma. It was lovely to meet you! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"That doesn't limit our options in the slightest," Regina muttered for only Emma to hear.

Emma chuckled and called out a similar sentiment over her shoulder. As the two approached the yellow bug, Emma walked Regina over to the passenger side and opened the door for her. Regina's obvious distaste for the car was palpable as she slid into her seat, and Emma did her best not to take offense. The car was her baby, after all. Once Regina got settled in the passenger's seat, Emma closed the door and walked over to the driver's side. As she got settled into her seat and started up the engine, she turned toward Regina with a nervous smile.

"You ready for this date?"

Regina smiled. "I'm ready to get out of this death trap, so the sooner you get to our date location, the readier I'll be."

Emma rolled her eyes playfully and backed out of the driveway, setting off toward their date location.

* * *

"Well, here we are," Emma announced as she pulled into a parking space.

Regina looked around their surroundings and narrowed her eyes at the sign on the building. "This is Archibald's."

"It is."

Regina looked at Emma dumbly. "This is a five-star restaurant. I've been trying to get reservations to this place for _months_."

"Well, I just so happen to be friends with the owner," Emma said, noting the expectant look on Regina's face. "We were deployed together during my first tour of Iraq."

Regina's mouth made an "o" shape and she nodded, deciding to drop the subject. "Shall we go in, then?"

The two exited the car – Emma locking the doors behind them – and made their way up the cobble steps leading to the restaurant's entrance. Once inside, the hustle and bustle of the restaurant left Emma stunned. She'd never actually been to Archibald's before, so when she heard Archie's business was doing great, she never realized _how_ great. The place was classy, but casual – but not casual enough to put off a first date. There were fairy lights, tablecloths, and a delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. Emma looked over to Regina and mentally patted herself on the back at the woman's awed expression.

A hostess dressed in a black dress approached them with a leather-bound reservation book in her hands.

"Name?"

"Emma Swan."

The hostess flipped to the second page of the book and nodded, putting her work smile on display. "Right this way, Miss Swan."

Emma and Regina glanced at each other and smiled, before following the hostess to their table. As they walked through the restaurant, passing many couples – young and old – they arrived at a booth near the closest window. The hostess placed their menus on the table and told them a waiter would be with them in a moment. Regina and Emma thanked the hostess and slid into the booth together, choosing to sit opposite one another. The booth's seats were made of real, black leather, and the red tablecloth covering their table was made of a material that was soft to the touch. The fairy lights hovering over them cast a soft glow over the table and it was all just…breathtaking.

"This place is beautiful. Not too over the top, and not too shabby. Perfect balance," Regina observed, looking around the restaurant with inquisitive eyes.

"So you like it?"

"I love it so far. I'm rating the location of this date a solid 9.5."

"What would make it a 10?"

"The food," Regina smirked.

Emma was smitten with a high maintenance woman. Go figure.

* * *

The meal was great and, by Regina's standards, a solid 10. Emma had never made the effort to impress a woman before but, to her surprise, she found it kind of fun. Challenging, yes, but fun. Emma was stepping out of her comfort zone and Regina seemed to appreciate her every effort; her appreciation and acknowledgment made it all worthwhile.

After dinner, the two found themselves sitting on a park bench a few blocks away from Archibald's. Outside was cool and windy, and the park was completely deserted, but there was a stillness in the air that made the night seem peaceful. The sky was pitch black and their only source of light was the moon and a single streetlight. Emma had never felt more relaxed; she was sure Regina's company had something to with that.

"So, what made you choose a fancy restaurant for our first date? Judging by the type of food you eat during our lunches, I wouldn't take you for a fine dining kind of person," Regina questioned, though not unkindly.

Emma mulled over the question, thinking of a way to answer the question without giving away just how much effort she'd put into this first date dinner location. She figured she'd might as well bite the bullet and answer truthfully. Women value honesty.

"I'm not, but you seem like the type of person who is. I figured I would make the effort to do what you like since _I_ asked you on this date."

Regina smiled and nudged Emma's shoulder with hers. "I came on this date knowing I was going to have a great time, and you know why that is?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm with you. We could have gone to a dive bar and I would have enjoyed it, as long as you were there with me. I'm on this date for you, not the locations. I was only joking about the ratings earlier, you know. I'm high maintenance, but not _that_ high maintenance. Leave that behavior to my sister and my mother."

Emma chuckled at that and smiled at Regina. "What if I like taking you to fancy locations?"

Regina smiled. "Then I won't stop you, if that's where you want to go."

"What if all I wanted to do was go to the boxing gym down the street and get my hands dirty?"

Regina grinned. "I'd say that sounds like a good time."

* * *

They were a sight to behold. Regina was in the boxing ring with her heels tossed aside and her dress hiked up an inch higher than was probably appropriate, considering they were in a gym full of men. She had a pair of red boxing gloves on her hands and red headgear strapped to her face. Emma had taken off her white button down, leaving her in a plain, white tank top. She had on white boxing gloves and matching headgear, with her boots tossed in the corner of the ring. They looked ridiculous and completely out of place, but the pure look of joy on Regina's face matched the way Emma felt inside.

This was the first and only date she'd ever been on, but she already knew it was the best date she'd ever had.

"You guys ready?" Carl, the muscular redhead at the bell, asked.

Emma looked to Regina, who nodded. "Ding the bell," she told the man.

The bell dinged and Emma and Regina immediately began circling each other. Regina's form was similar Emma's; they were both in the offensive stance, with their gloves raised to their cheeks, and their bodies ready to react, should one of them attack. Regina was concentrated, and Emma was momentarily distracted by the intense, brown eyes watching her body's every move. Emma wondered if that was how Regina looked when she was observing her patients' body movements during their therapy sessions, or how she looked at Henry when he clumsily took his first steps. It was a look that would probably intimidate any other opponent, but Emma couldn't help the fond smile that appeared on her lips at the sight.

Regina's eyes narrowed at the smile. "Why are you smiling?"

Emma's body loosened its tight stance and she shrugged, a lopsided smile on her face. "No reason."

"Nice try, Emma. If you think you're psyching me out, you're wrong."

The ferocity in her voice gave Emma pause. Competitive Regina was such a turn on. Emma tightened her stance once again and the two continued circling each another. This went on until the end of round one, and Emma took the one-minute break in between rounds to approach Regina.

"Look, I get that you're nervous having to go against an undefeated champ, but don't be scared to attack. I won't hurt you too much," Emma goaded, biting back a bark of laughter at Regina's affronted look.

"Carl, ding the damn bell!" Regina ordered the redhead. His frightened expression made Emma's night just a bit brighter.

The bell dinged and before Emma could adjust her stance, a sharp jab was delivered to her abdomen. Emma stared at Regina in muted amusement. "What was that for?"

"Being a smartass, now get your fists up."

Emma chuckled and did as she was told. The two circled one another for a few seconds, before Emma swung at Regina, who sidestepped her attack easily, delivering a counterattack of her own. With four lightning fast jabs being delivered to her bicep, Emma felt the slight burn of the hits.

Emma took the moment Regina had chosen to adjust her feet, to deliver a few jabs of her own to the woman's abdomen. Six consecutive jabs, delivered with light force. The bell dinged signaling the end of the first round, and Regina playfully snarled at Emma.

"You won that round, but only because I let you," said Regina.

Emma scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, please, I've been going easy on you this entire match."

Regina gasped, smacking Emma in the shoulder with her gloved fist. "You have not!"

Emma unfolded her arms and grabbed at Regina's waist with her gloved hands, pulling the other woman closer. "I have."

Regina stepped further into Emma's arms, until her mouth was inches away from Emma's. Emma's breath hitched.

"Oh, yeah?" Regina whispered, her breath ghosting across Emma's lips.

"Yeah," Emma gulped out.

Leaning forward, Regina lightly pressed her lips against Emma's, pulling back slightly to whisper a breathy, "Prove it."

They never got to the third round of the match.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma felt like she was floating. The last time she'd gotten butterflies from a kiss was when she was sixteen years old and had just kissed her long-time crush, Courtney Allen. Courtney, for Emma, was the equivalent to what most people would have considered their first love. Emma hadn't liked many people during her childhood, but Courtney was the only girl in her school that she could even remotely tolerate. It helped that she was gorgeous and had Emma's self-deprecating humor. Obviously, Emma was aware that toleration was not love, but it was the closest thing she'd ever felt to it. Courtney was also the first and only girl she'd allowed to hurt her; Emma hadn't liked the power Courtney had over her, and she would be damned if she'd allowed another girl to have access to the most fragile organ in her body.

But then she met Regina, and all of those thoughts flew out the window. She found herself turning into a pile of mush, wanting to spend all of her free time with the doctor and her adorable son. Henry had managed to wiggle his way into her heart just as much as his mother, and the thought scared her. Here she was, dropping Regina home after their first, official date, after sharing their first real kiss, and all Emma could do was mentally freak out over what this meant for her. For _them_.

It was a terrifying situation to say the least.

"What are you thinking about?" Regina asked, snapping Emma out of her reverie.

Emma looked over at Regina from the driver's seat and forced a small smile on her face. "Nothing."

"Judging by how pale your face has gotten in the last five minutes, it must be something pretty big."

Emma pulled into Regina's driveway and parked behind Regina's car, eyeing the red convertible parked beside it. It must've belonged to Zelena; Emma hadn't noticed it before. When she shut off the engine of the car, she turned to look at an expectant Regina. Somehow, she felt like she could tell Regina what was on her mind. The look in Regina's eyes told Emma that no matter what she said, she wouldn't be judged for it. Emma felt herself instantly relax.

"I've never done this before," Emma told her. Noting Regina's puzzled look, she continued. "I mean, the whole feelings and wanting to actually be with someone type of thing. It's new territory for me. I haven't had a connection like this with anyone since high school, and even then it was fleeting. This was my first date and it was the best date I could have ever asked for. You're making me question everything I thought I knew about myself and it's wigging me out, dude."

Regina chuckled at the phrasing and placed a hand on Emma's forearm, tenderly stroking the flesh there. "And I didn't think I'd want to be with anyone after Daniel, yet here I am, wanting to be with you more than I'd care to admit."

She said it so softly that Emma felt goosebumps rise on her skin. Regina must have felt them because she swiped her thumb over the goose bump-covered flesh and smiled.

"Would you like to go on a second date with me tomorrow night? We could bring Henry," Emma quietly suggested. The smile on Regina's face was answer enough. "That smile means yes, right?"

Regina shook her head. "No," Emma deflated. Regina leaned over the console separating their seats and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. Emma felt herself shudder. When Regina pulled back, she smirked. "But that did."

Before Emma could clear the fogginess out of her brain and open her mouth to say something equally as smooth, Regina's porch lights began to flicker on and off. Emma looked at Regina questioningly and Regina playfully rolled her eyes.

"That's just Zelena being a pest. She must have been waiting up for me and saw your car's headlights," Regina informed her, an almost fond smile on her face. "Walk me to the door?"

Emma nodded and they unbuckled their seat belts, exiting the car. Regina walked over to Emma and laced their fingers together as they made their way up the front porch steps.

"So, see you tomorrow?" Emma inquired shyly, a grin on her face.

Regina leaned in and placed a quick, chaste kiss to her lips and nodded. "See you tomorrow."

" _That was a pathetic kiss. Just snog already!"_ came Zelena's voice through the front door.

"Fuck off, Zelena!" Regina shot back.

" _Ooh, mommy said a bad word_!" came Henry's mischievous voice.

Regina rolled her eyes and looked back at Emma. "See you tomorrow, dear. I think I need to remind a certain babysitter that my son should have been in bed _two hours_ ago!"

" _Run, Henry! Hide!_ " Zelena's playfully frantic voice could be heard along Henry's high-pitched giggles.

Regina offered Emma one last smile before she opened her front door and entered the house, softly closing the door behind her. Henry's, " _Night, Emma_!" could be heard from the other side of the door, and Emma couldn't resist shouting back the sentiment. Shaking her head in amusement at how her night had ended, Emma made her way down the porch steps and to her car.

* * *

Emma realized that she and Regina hadn't actually planned out what they were going to do for their second date. All she knew was that she'd suggested it, and Regina had said yes. Grabbing her phone from her bedside table, Emma turned on her phone screen and saw that it was two in the morning. Regina was surely asleep by now, but Emma had been restless since coming home from her date. She kept replaying everything over and over again and it seemed that the smile on her face was going to be a permanent fixture. She couldn't squash down the smile if she'd tried. This must have been how David felt when he first met Mary-Margaret, or how Ruby must have felt when she locked eyes with Belle for the first time, right after she'd spilled coffee all over Belle's white top. It was an indescribable feeling and one Emma didn't think she'd ever get used to.

But she wanted to.

With her intense feelings and second date on the brain, Emma unlocked her phone and went to her contacts, deciding to call Regina. Her brain would chastise her for that decision later but, as of now, she just wanted to talk to the other woman.

" _Hello_?" came Regina's surprisingly clear voice. She sounded wide awake.

"Were you already awake?" Emma said in lieu of an actual greeting.

" _Maybe_ ," Regina responded laughingly. " _Zelena refused to leave until I gave her a play-by-play of our date. She left not too long ago. I haven't been able to sleep a wink since."_

"Any particular reason why?" Emma teased.

" _I don't know; is there any particular reason you've decided to call me at two in the morning_?" Regina deflected.

Emma chuckled and hummed. "Touché'." She heard Regina chuckle and felt the smile on her face get impossibly wider. She'd need plastic surgery to rid her face of this smile. "I was just calling to discuss the details of our date tomorrow. I realize now that we never actually planned anything."

Regina let out a disbelieving snort. _"You called me at two in the morning to discuss something we could have easily discussed at a later time? I'm not buying it, and neither would Henry if he were awake to witness this conversation. You just wanted to hear my voice."_

She said it so matter-of-factly that Emma found herself stunned into silence. Would admitting that Regina was right about her reasoning make her seem pathetic?

"If I say yes, would that be weird?"

Regina was silent for a moment, causing Emma to feel a sudden panic. That panic soon turned into relief, which turned into giddiness, when she heard Regina's reply. " _If that makes you weird, then so am I."_

Their conversation lasted until they could no longer keep their eyes opened.

* * *

The second date consisted of a _Rocky_ movie marathon in Regina's living room. Henry sat between the two women with his head in Emma's lap and his legs thrown across his mother's thighs. Emma watched how engrossed both Henry _and_ Regina were in the movie. First, Emma learned that not only did Regina box, but that she was a damn good boxer. _Now_ , she'd learned that Regina was as big of a _Rocky_ fan as her son. Emma watched Regina mouth the lines to the movie; they were an hour into the movie and it was obvious Regina knew the entire script by heart. It was a pleasant surprise.

Henry was too engrossed in the film to notice how into the movie his mom was, but if he had noticed, Emma was sure he would have called her out on it. Henry once told Emma how disappointed his mother had been when she'd learned that David allowed him to watch _Rocky_. He'd told Emma about how much his mother disliked boxing and violence. If only he knew the truth. Emma fought back a chuckle at the thought of Henry finally learning about his mother's boxing past. She hoped she'd be there to witness that day.

Emma glanced over at Regina and noticed that the woman was no longer staring at the television screen, but at her. Emma raised a questioning eyebrow and Regina mouthed "hi". Emma smiled and mouthed back, "hey, yourself." Regina ran her fingers through her hair, bit her lip to quash down her growing smile, and turned back to the television screen.

Henry, who must have been watching their exchange, said in bored tone, "You guys need to snog already."

Emma guffawed and Regina's eyes widened. "Henry! Watch your mouth!"

Henry's eyes widened in surprise at his mother's chastising tone. "What'd I say?"

Regina turned red and just made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. Henry watched his mother with interest and Emma continued to laugh.

"Don't worry about it, kid," Emma told him, causing him to glance up at her from his spot in her lap. "Your mom and I will do plenty of snogging later."

"Emma!" Regina repeated in the same, chastising tone, looking scandalized - despite the fact that they did exactly that just a day earlier, in the middle of a crowded gym, no less.

Emma raised her hands in mock surrender and shrugged. "Blame your sister for teaching him British slang, not me. If he repeats it, it's not on me."

"Yeah, mom, blame Aunt Zelena!" Henry insisted, eager to place blame on anyone but himself.

Regina stared hard at Emma and Henry, who gave her the best green-eyed puppy dog eyes they could, and sighed. "Because we are on a date, I will let it slide," Henry began to cheer before Regina abruptly cut him off. "But only this once. Henry, your aunt is a potty mouth and you should never repeat a word she says. Got it?"

Henry nodded. "Got it."

"Good."

They turned their attention back to the movie and watched in silence. Emma looked over at Regina, who must have sensed her staring because she returned her gaze. Regina smiled at her and mouthed, "There will definitely be snogging later."

Emma felt her cheeks go red and smiled. This second date was already topping the first one, and it was obviously because she was on it with two of her favorite people.

Maybe allowing herself to feel wasn't such a bad thing.


	13. Chapter 13

Regina walked into her workplace with a pep in her step, and a smile on her face. After the weekend she'd had, it was damn near impossible to wipe the grin from her face. It was rare that Regina found someone that Henry approved of - though, judging by how tightly Henry clung to Emma during their movie date, it was obvious Henry liked Emma almost as much as Regina did. Regina couldn't blame him, though; Emma just had that effect on people. It also helped that Emma seemed to adore Henry as much as he adored her; it was in her eyes, and in how patient and enthusiastic her interactions with him have been. Regina felt like she'd hit the jackpot.

It was only a plus that Emma was extremely attractive and a fellow boxer. _One far more skilled and talented than I ever was_ , Regina thought to herself with a smile. She continued smiling to herself as she passed the receptionist's desk, offering Mindy an absent-minded greeting. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Mindy's inquisitive smile. She'd made it down the long corridor, into her office, and behind her desk in seconds, feeling as if she'd floated there. Regina did feel like she was on Cloud 9, though, so it only made sense.

Regina was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Mindy enter her office, the woman standing near the door, watching her dazed movements with curious eyes.

"You look like you had an amazing weekend," Mindy observed.

Regina jumped, startled by Mindy's sudden presence. "What happened to knocking?" asked Regina, her hand clutching at her chest, as if to calm her racing heart.

Mindy smirked and shrugged, fixing Regina with a knowing look. "Was it the hot blonde that you usually have lunch with? Is she the one that's got you smiling like you've won the lottery?"

Regina couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face, as she replied with a quiet, "Maybe."

Mindy beamed at her. "I've only spoken to her a few times and, even then, it was only just idle chats, but she seems really into you. The moment you appear, her face lights up like a kid on Christmas," Mindy told her with a chuckle. "I like seeing you this happy."

"Thank you, Mindy," Regina replied quietly, a blush warming her cheeks.

After a slight moment of silence, Mindy gave Regina an apologetic smile that Regina had come to associate with bad news. "So, I did come in here for more than just juicy relationship gossip," said Mindy, who then cleared her throat and gestured down the corridor with a nod of her head. "Mr. Cassidy is in exam room ten. His chart is by the door."

"He's early," Regina responded, looking at the clock on her office wall. It was 9:50, and his appointment wasn't until 10:20. "Extremely early."

"His daughter had a 9:30 appointment at a doctor's office a few miles away, so she dropped him here. He demanded to be seen earlier than usual since you were already here, and you know how grumpy that man can get when things don't go his way," Mindy grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Good luck," she offered before turning on her heels and heading back to the waiting room.

Regina knew all too well the temper tantrums that old man could throw. John Cassidy Sr. had been her patient for the last three years and he could be a true nightmare; it'd taken him months to treat Regina like his doctor and not his verbal punching bag. The amount of times he'd condescendingly referred to her as a nurse during the first year of their doctor-patient relationship was a number much too high for her liking. He was an ass and probably her least favorite patient, but she was a professional and the sooner she saw him, the sooner he could leave.

Her good mood was nice while it lasted.

Grabbing her stethoscope from her open desk drawer, Regina draped it over her neck and then used the palm of her hands to smooth down the creases in her purple scrub top. If there's one thing Regina didn't want to deal with that morning, it was the snide remarks John Cassidy Sr. would make if she looked the slightest bit "disheveled". Disheveled had a different meaning to John than it did to most people; Regina wasn't sure if it was the former sergeant in him, or if it was just because he was a nitpicky asshole. Either way, she wasn't going to give him a reason to complain.

As she made her way down the corridor and to her patient's room, she could already hear the man grumbling to himself from the other side of the door. With a weary sigh, Regina retrieved his chart from the counter outside the room, pushed open the door, and was immediately met with a wrinkly, scowling face.

"Good morning, Mr. Cassidy, how are you?"

Mr. Cassidy's scowl deepened, his gray eyes narrowing in disdain. "How the hell do you think I'm doing? Do you think I'm here because I _want_ to be?"

Regina forced a smile and opened his chart. "Well, let's see what I can do to make you feel better and send you on your way." _So that I won't have to see you again until your next checkup three months from now,_ Regina added in her head. "Show me where it hurts."

* * *

As lunch time rolled around and Regina finished up with her last patient of the morning, she walked into her office and closed the door behind her, collapsing against it with a relieved sigh. Her morning had been hell and John fucking Cassidy was to blame for that. John was a bad omen for her practice; his negative energy released itself into the atmosphere and infected everyone else in the building. Hopefully his negative energy cleared out of the building before her afternoon patients arrived.

"Rough day?"

Regina, whose eyes had been closed since she entered her office, startled. Opening her eyes and straightening her stance, her eyes landed on Emma, who was seated in the client's chair facing her desk. There was a large plastic bag on her desk that, no doubt, contained lunch for her. Regina felt the tension in her body melt away and the face-splitting smile - the same one she wore before her morning went to shit - return to her face.

"You brought me lunch?"

Emma shrugged, a barely concealed smile on her face. "Well, considering the tone of your earlier texts, I thought maybe you could use a nice meal."

Regina walked over to the abandoned chair beside Emma and plopped onto it. Emma reached forward and opened the plastic bag, pulling out a single container with a clear lid and a plastic fork. Inside the container was lasagna from Granny's. Regina's favorite.

Regina looked at Emma, an awed expression on her face. "Right now, you are tied with Henry as my favorite person on the planet."

Emma chuckled as she watched Regina remove the lid from the container and immediately begin stabbing at the lasagna. Regina was so hungry that she didn't care what she must've looked like to Emma. Usually, Regina was a lot more refined, but after the morning she'd had, she was feeling a little rough around the edges. It wasn't until Regina was clearing the last remnants of lasagna from her container that she noticed Emma hadn't brought any food for herself.

After taking a few sips from the water bottle Emma handed her, Regina looked down and noticed Emma was dressed in baggy black gym shorts and a matching black v neck.

"Did you come here straight from the gym?"

"Technically, I came here straight from Granny's, but I did leave the gym early enough to make a quick pit stop there."

"Did you eat?" Regina questioned, feeling the mother in her rear it's caring head.

"I had two bear claws on my way over here." At seeing Regina's disapproving look, Emma held her hands up in mock surrender. "I had a perfectly balanced breakfast at five a.m. this morning. The bear claws were just an afternoon snack."

Regina chortled and said nothing more on the subject. Instead, she said in a grateful tone, "Thank you for the food. And thank you for being here. As grossly cliché as it sounds, I sort of missed you, even though I just saw you yesterday."

At that admission, Emma blushed from the tips of her ears, to the base of her neck. "So, you're not tired of me yet?"

Regina scoffed. "As if that were even possible, Ms. Swan."

And Regina was sure that it wasn't. Only time would tell, and Regina had a feeling that time would only bring them impossibly closer.

* * *

As the weeks passed, Regina found her prediction to be true; her and Emma had gone on several dates and, although it had felt redundant for Emma to even ask considering their closeness, Emma still made a big deal of officially asking her to be her girlfriend. Considering that Emma had never had a serious girlfriend before, Regina understood the significance it had to her, so she kept her teasing to a minimum. It was endearing how relieved Emma had looked when Regina said yes. Henry had looked equally delighted when they gave him the news of their new relationship status; he talked Regina's ear off about how awesome it was that she was dating the second coolest woman in existence (after herself, he'd informed her). After learning about Regina's boxing past due to a slip from David, Henry started viewing her as a superhero. Regina would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy every minute of his childlike wonder.

Because of this leaked information, Henry and Emma began dragging her to the gym on weekends to help him practice for his first friendly match. He'd started working extra hard to not only impress Emma, but Regina, too. He loved asking her for advice about his stance and his fighting form, and he always tried to get her to spar with him. His hopeful eyes got her to give in every time.

Which is how Regina had found herself back at the feather jungle. Standing opposite her son in ring _4_ , both donning boxing gloves and headgear, Regina and Henry's feet danced around the ring as they circled one another. Regina felt her lips quirk up at the look of deep concentration on her son's face. He was searching for an opening so that he could make his move, but couldn't find one. From the corner of her eye, she could see Emma watching them circle each other with unbridled amusement. Regina found herself making brief eye contact with the blonde, laughing quietly to herself at the goofy thumbs up the woman gave her.

Regina didn't know it was possible to feel this happy again. After Daniel died, she'd had trouble coping with the loss. And by the time she was ready to start dating again, Henry was old enough to walk and talk and pick up on things that most children would often overlook. As a mother, Regina knew she couldn't just date anyone. Whoever she dated had to love Henry the way that she did, otherwise, she couldn't be with them. While her happiness was important, her son's comfort and happiness mattered more, and there had never been a potential romantic partner in her life that truly cared about either.

Until Emma.

They'd only been an official couple for three weeks, but they're over two months into their friendship, and Regina had never connected with anyone the way she'd connected with Emma. Sometimes it just…felt too good to be true.

A light punch to her abdomen broke Regina out of her reverie, and she looked down to see Henry's gloved fist resting against her abdomen.

"I win!" Henry shouted triumphantly with a toothy grin.

Regina giggled and leaned down to place a kiss atop his head. "Good job."

Looking over to Emma who was red in the face from laughter, Regina wondered if the quickness of her loss in this practice match could be indicative of her relationship's future. She was used to things taking a turn for the worst. Luck was rarely on her side.

Regina watched as Emma climbed onto the ring's platform and high-fived Henry, gushing to him about how great he was going to do in his match. Henry beamed with pride at Emma's praise, and Emma reached out a hand to muss up his already unruly hair. Watching them interact made Regina feel like maybe – just maybe – her luck was beginning to change.


End file.
